


Chance Meetings

by Anna_Kayee



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternative Universe - No Arrow, Alternative Universe - No Island, F/M, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Insecure Felicity, Jealous Oliver, Romance, Verdant, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-11-20 22:48:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 27,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11344686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anna_Kayee/pseuds/Anna_Kayee
Summary: When a chance meeting in an elevator puts Felicity's babbling pink lips on Oliver's radar, he'll stop at nothing to prove that he's serious about life. He just wants to get her to go on a date with him. Felicity is beyond attracted, but Oliver Queen's reputation happens to precede him.AU with no island or Arrow, just Olicity and a very alive Tommy. Summery may change as I see where the story takes me.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Summery may change as I see where the story takes me, but this is it for now. Tell me what you like and don't like so I can change accordingly. This is my first fic on AO3 and my first Arrow fic overall. 
> 
> Fingers crossed!
> 
> Disclaimer: I wish I owned the Arrow, but sadly I do not.

* * *

"Hey Cooper, I just wanted to remind you about tonight," Felicity said into her mobile phone as she walked through the glass doors of Queen Consolidated. "I have something really important to tell you and I can't put it off any longer... Anyway, have a great day Coop, and please don't be late this time!"

She sighed deeply as she stuffed her phone into the pocket of her brown coat. She had been planning to have this talk with her boyfriend for several weeks now, but every time she gathered the courage to spit the words out, something would conveniently come up and put a dent in one of their schedules. For the past four days, she had rehearsed her speech for when he showed up to her flat. About fifteen minutes before their scheduled time though, Cooper would always call to inform her that he wouldn't be able to make it for one reason or another. Felicity was beginning to get fed up with the entire situation.

_One more cancellation on his part and I swear I'll tell him over text._ As she walked into the lift and pressed the button for the IT floor, she unintentionally voiced that very thought.

"I don't think he'd appreciate that very much," Came a low, amused voice from behind the small blonde.

Felicity squealed, turning to face the man that had spoken. She hadn't even realised the lift was occupied when she walked in. Her eyes quickly took in the sight before her. His tall stature and broad shoulders fit perfectly in his blue, two-piece suit. A suit that complemented his deep ocean coloured eyes and short cropped, dirty blonde hair. This wasn't just any other occupant, this occupant was _unusually beautiful..._

"Thank you," He said with a nervous chuckle. "I don't believe a woman has ever called me 'beautiful' before."

"Did I say that out loud?" Felicity asked horrified as she brought her hand up to cover her lips. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine, Miss..." He tilted his head questioningly.

"Smoak," She clarified, avoiding his piercing blue eyes by looking absolutely anywhere else. "It's Felicity Smoak."

"Well Miss Felicity Smoak, if I know the company layout as well as I think I do, you're headed to the 21st floor." He gestured to the button pad where the button she had just pressed was still glowing. "Which is the IT department...?"

"Yes," Felicity nodded ferociously, still awestruck by the sheer beauty of the individual standing in front of her. There was something about him that seemed familiar, something she couldn't quite put her finger on...

"Well it was very nice meeting you, Miss Smoak, have a wonderful day." The man smiled at her only seconds before the light _ding_ of the lift, signalling that it had reached her floor.

Felicity quickly gathered herself and practically ran through the open doors, nearly tripping over her feet as she did so. That would have been incredibly embarrassing...

"Oh and Miss Smoak," The beautiful man called to her as she sprinted from the small confined space of the lift.

Felicity reluctantly turned to face him once more, not wanting to be rude. The longer she stayed in close proximity to this man, the higher the chance that she would say something stupid and embarrassing...well, something else stupid and embarrassing.

"Give the poor guy a break, if I were in his shoes, I'd want to postpone the inevitable too. It's not everyday that a gorgeous woman calls you her boyfriend." He smiled teasingly as the elevator doors slid shut, leaving the small woman to stand rigid in her spot.

_Did he just hit on me...?_ Felicity though to herself as she stared, wide-eyed at the now closed elevator. It had been a while since anyone had admitted to finding her attractive. Not even Cooper complimented her physical appearance much often anymore. The closest she had come to someone hitting on her since college was three months ago when a construction worker whistled at her as she left the gym in yoga pants and a tank top. People didn't hit on Felicity Smoak, that's just the way things were, how they had pretty much always been. She must have misinterpreted his statement somehow. After all, what kind of weirdo would hit on a girl and in the same breath urge her to take it easy on her soon to be ex-boyfriend. Was this some kind of secret bro-code thing that she wasn't aware of?

The sound of heels on the tile floors brought her back to her senses. Turning on her own heel quickly, Felicity walked very briskly to her office, attempting to forget the very beautiful, yet very strange man that had just called her gorgeous.

* * *

Oliver walked through the glass doors of Walter Steele's office on the executive floor. His mind was still in a bit of a stupor from the odd encounter in the company lift just a few minutes ago.

_Felicity Smoak._

A unique name for what seemed to be a very unique woman. Never before had a woman called him 'beautiful' or cowered in the corner of an elevator to stay as far away from him as humanely possible. Her swirly blonde hair had been pulled back in a tight ponytail, emphasising her plump pink lips and blue eyes behind her black-rimmed frames. Never before had he ever found a grown woman _cute_ , but even that word didn't do her justice. Felicity wasn't just cute...she was _adorable_ , _beautiful_ , _sexy_ , and most of all, absolutely and positively _gorgeous_.

He had spotted her walking towards the lift the second he got on. Without even a second of hesitation, Oliver reached out and pressed the _Door Open_ button on the keypad, praying that the doors would stay open long enough to allow her inside. As she stepped inside the open doors, he caught the tail end of her phone conversation. His hopefulness instantly dissipated as he put the pieces together. _She had a boyfriend...a boyfriend she was planning to break up with apparently..._

He chuckled lightly when he heard her sly comment about ending the relationship over text. When he responded, he was quite surprised to see her jump into the air and clutch her purse to her chest tightly. He fought back an even stronger laugh when she called him 'unusually beautiful,' and almost bent over in a fit when she told him that she hadn't actually meant to say it out loud. When she practically sprinted from the lift, he couldn't exactly help himself when he inadvertently called her gorgeous. Her wide eyes staring back at him in disbelief was the last thing he saw before the lift doors slid shut and he leaned against the back wall in a fit of laughter. Oliver had a newfound determination that he had not woken up with that morning. He would ask this girl on a date, even if she slammed the door in his face.

With that thought in mind, he entered Walter Steele's office with a new mission.

"Oliver," Walter said as he stood up to greet his stepson. "I wasn't expecting you. What brings you to the office today?"

"I was driving by on my way to the club and I remembered that today is yours and mom's anniversary. I just wanted to come make sure you're having a good day...Mom was pretty much glowing this morning when I called her."

"Thank you, son." The British man smiled gratefully as he sat back down in his office chair and gestured for Oliver to sit in the chair in front of his desk. "I was able to make reservations just in time. Hopefully Moira will enjoy the evening I have planned."

"As long as she's with you, I will imagine that she will." Oliver smiled lightly. It had taken him a while to warm up to the idea of his deceased father's business partner in a relationship with his widowed mother. Eventually, he was able to see how truly happy they made each other.

"If you have the time, we could grab some lunch before we both have to get back to work," Walter suggested.

"Unfortunately, I am actually on my way to Verdant. Tommy and I are meeting with a possible investor in about an hour."

"Well, I hope everything goes to your liking."

"So do I," Oliver said as he raised from his seat with a sigh. He nodded lightly to his stepfather before turning to leave the office. Just then, he remembered the adorable blonde that he met in the lift. "Actually Walter, I'm not sure if you can help me here, but I met someone a little while ago. Could you maybe give me some information?"

"Depends on the type of information and the individual," Walter warned tentatively.

"Right," Oliver nodded with understanding. "Her name is Felicity Smoak."

"Ah yes, Felicity." Walter smiled. "I can't give you any private information of course, but Felicity is one of our finest. I personally hired her as assistant IT director after the department head took paternity leave for several weeks three years ago."

"She's a department head's assistant?"

"No, she's an assistant department head." Walter chuckled lightly. "If Felicity ever heard anyone call her an assistant, she would have their head on a plate. She graduated from MIT with a master's degree. I believe she's from Nevada, although I don't happen to recall the exact place."

"Wow, okay..." Oliver shook his head as he took it all in. Not only was she gorgeous, but she graduated from MIT and was second in command of the IT department. It may be a bit more difficult to coerce her into a date than he initially thought.

"Why, may I ask, are you inquiring after Miss Smoak?" Walter asked curiously.

"She just uh..." Oliver hesitated. "She grabbed my attention..."

"Felicity tends to do that," Walter nodded with a knowing smile. "Although she seems to have grabbed your attention in a much more different way than she did mine."

* * *

Felicity unlocked the door to her flat with a sigh. It had been a terribly long and tiring day. When the director of the department calls in sick minutes before you have to present the new outline for providing funding for the latest, and possibly, most revolutionary project to the entirety of the Applied Sciences division and Walter Steele himself, stress levels tend to go through the roof. Thankfully, it went much better than expected and the project was approved by each department director. James Lewis, the IT director who had conveniently fallen ill that morning, would be getting a very strong worded email from his associate at some point over the weekend.

As she closed the front door, Felicity kicked off her heels and peeled her coat from her body, draping it over her couch. Her stomach grumbled, but there was no way she had the energy to make a plate of food right now, and she had already exhausted her weekly takeout budget. If she intended to pay off 50% of her student loans by the time she was ninety, she really did have to reign in her spending. With that thought, Felicity avoided her kitchen and walked straight to her bedroom to change. There was no better way to relax after a stressful week than to sit in yoga pants and watch some Doctor Who...actually there was: sit in yoga pants and watch some Sherlock... On second thought, that would probably be more depressing than relaxing. She was not ready to see Sherlock jump off a roof to save John again. It still hurt very deep in the depths of her soul...

Besides, she already had enough depressing events to get to this evening. If, of course, Cooper ever decided to show up. This break up had been a long time coming, she was certain that even Cooper could realise that. She wasn't exactly sure where he had been for the past few evenings...it wasn't like he had a job. Last time she checked, he was making money by messing with people's mobile phones and computers, getting them to do things that neither Apple nor Samsung ever intended them to do. He was walking a fine line between legal and jail time, but Felicity was fairly certain their days as hacktivists were over. At least, that's what he had assured her the last time she asked him about his current line of business.

Cooper was a great guy in Felicity's book, he really was. But it seemed that college life had been the only thing keeping them together. After they both graduated from MIT, Cooper had stayed in Boston while Felicity moved to Starling. Maintaining a long distance relationship was not their problem. Cooper had been beyond pissed when he found that she had taken a job with Queen Consolidated, according to him, it was one of the same "rich capitalist corporations" that they had spent their university days fighting against. They had gotten past that though. There really was no huge fight or gigantic revelation...they had simply drifted apart. When two people are no longer taking the same classes, sharing the same flat, or apart of the same government fighting hacktivist group, they tend to run out of things to talk about. What had initially attracted Felicity to Cooper was his driven mentality; his strong belief that the government was taking advantage of its people, and it was his privilege and duty to make things right the only way he knew how: with computers.

Felicity had quickly grown out of that mentality however, and Cooper lost his Robin Hood-like drive. For the past two years, the two of them were simply trying to live in the past; trying to rekindle a fire without any matches. It just wasn't working anymore. Felicity knew it, and if Cooper didn't, then he had truly turned a blind eye to their relationship. It wasn't fair to either of them.

Another grumble from Felicity's stomach brought her from her thoughts as she slumped onto the couch in her living room. She quickly turned on the TV and pressed play on whichever episode of Doctor Who she had inside of the DVD player. The eerie _OOO-WEE-OOOO OOO-YOO-WOOO_ of the theme music she had become so accustomed to filled her living room, and she snuggled into the couch tightly. As always, Felicity hoped with all her heart that she had not pressed pause on the Weeping Angels episode, or else she absolutely would not be getting any sleep tonight. Just as the theme song faded into nothingness, Felicity's phone screen lit up on the table in front of her, signalling a text message.

_Cooper: Sorry, babe. Won't make it tonight. Something came up, I'll call you._

It was the same message she had received for the past few weeks every time she made plans to have this conversation with him. She was hardly surprised at this point, but she was however very irritated. She just wanted to text him, tell him that this was unacceptable, tell him that it couldn't wait any longer, tell him to get his ass over here before she donated every single last one of his belongings to charity. She had already packed them into a box. All of the shirts he left in her room, the spare toothbrush he kept in her bathroom, even the towel that he always used when he came over (even though it was absolutely her towel). Like always though, instead of being assertive as she knew she should be, Felicity picked up her phone and sent off a simple, passive text.

_Felicity: No problem. Call me back soon. Thx_

Cooper's response came in seconds, before she could even shut the phone off.

_Cooper: You're the best, babe. Luv you_

Felicity didn't bother responding. She knew he didn't love her anymore, and frankly, she'd be lying if she claimed she loved him either. This whole thing was a huge giant mess. Suddenly, she didn't feel like watching the dramatic and beautiful (but also heartbreaking) love story that was the Doctor and Rose. Maybe bed was just the best option at this point. Switching off the television, Felicity gathered herself with a sigh and retreated to her bedroom.

* * *

"Oliver," Tommy stuck his head into his best friend's office. "We have a bit of a problem..."

"Let security handle it, Tommy." Oliver answered with his brain deep in paperwork. He was practically drowning in it at this point, and he really did not have the time nor the effort to deal with whatever drunken mess was taking place downstairs.

"This is a special case, Oliver." Tommy responded sternly. "Trust me when I say that I think you'll want to take care of this one."

With that, Tommy disappeared, leaving Oliver's office door slightly ajar. It had always been a bit of a quirk of Oliver's. He could never work with the door open, especially when the loud, upbeat music was blaring downstairs. Tommy knew that, which was exactly why he left the door cracked. With a heavy sigh, Oliver threw his pen down on the desk and stomped his way to the open door. This had better be a very serious problem or else Tommy was going to get an earful for pulling him away from his work.

Since the two of them had opened the club several months ago, it had been a huge hit. Everyone wanted to see what the resident Starling City playboys, Tommy Merlyn and Oliver Queen, had managed to work up. When Robert Queen had died in that terrible boating accident several years ago, Oliver knew he needed a way to honour his father with something a bit more personal than a memorial. Although Robert may not have been a big fan of a club, it was the only way Oliver knew how to keep his father alive. Ever since he had graduated high school, his parents had been urging hm to take some sort of responsibility; marrying Laurel, taking part in the company, going to college, anything. He had failed them in each and every one of those endeavors. First he had dropped out of all four universities that his parents managed to get him into. Then he ended things with Laurel the second things began to get too serious, and finally he refused his parents' request to take any part in QC business. He had been perfectly content with going to clubs every night of the week and waking up the next morning with a hangover and a naked, leggy brunette in the sheets next to him.

When the news broke of his father's passing, Oliver knew that things had to change. He spoke to Tommy and they came up with an idea; an idea that wasn't fully supported by either of their families, but still worked. Tommy had been dying to prove his own father that he was worth much more than the time he spent partying and getting drunk. It had been personal for both of them. They had put everything into keeping the club alive, and so far whatever formula they figured out was working. Hopefully, it would stay that way without too many unexpected bumps in the road.

Oliver made his way downstairs, weaving through the individuals scattered near the bar. He could see the commotion as he approached the bar where Tommy stood. Security stood a bit farther off, allowing Tommy to speak to whoever was causing the problem.

"What's going on?" Oliver yelled over the music as he approached Tommy.

"Get your sister under control," Tommy yelled back, motioning to the teenage girl, glaring at her brother's best friend from the other side of the bar.

Oliver shook his head in exasperation. This was about the third time this week that Thea had sneaked into the club. Good thing Tommy was supervising the ground floor this week or else they may not have caught her. "Thea," Oliver warned as he motioned her upstairs.

"No, Ollie," The young girl protested. "I'm eighteen. That means that I am technically an adult. You can't stop me from coming here and you know it."

"You're right, I can't stop you from coming here," Oliver admitted with a stern look. "However, if someone happens to spot eighteen-year-old Thea Queen with an alcoholic beverage in her hand, our club not only gets bad press, but you get arrested for underage drinking."

Thea stared defiantly into her brother's eyes, seeming to contemplate his words. "Can I stay if I don't drink anything?"

"Thea-"

"Please, Ollie! I'll just get a soda, I promise." Thea folded her hands together in a pleading motion. "At least I decided to come here where you, Tommy, and Sarah can spy on me instead of going to another club where I'd be on my own."

_She makes a good point._ The rational side of Oliver's brain commented. Sarah was taking care of the drinks and Tommy was making his rounds. If anything went truly wrong, Thea could always retreat to his office upstairs. Besides, if he kicked her out, she would just find another place to go; a place without three adults to make sure she didn't do anything stupid. Sometimes Oliver wondered if Thea planned these things...

"Fine," Oliver agreed and Thea squealed with excitement. "You can stay until eleven. After that, you go straight home. If I hear anything from anyone about you acting up, I will come down here and drag you out myself. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Ollie! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Thea hugged her older brother around the waist before darting off.

"She's growing up," Sarah said as she watched Thea run into the crowd of people. Sarah leaned on the bar next to where Oliver stood, staring after his sister's tiny frame. "I remember when she used to chase you and Tommy around the house."

"So do I," Oliver chuckled at the memory. "Keep an eye on her?"

"Of course," Sarah nodded, before going back to mixing drinks.

Oliver quickly retreated back up to his office where his pile of paperwork awaited him. Running a business was a lot harder than either he or Tommy realised when they first came up with the idea. Thankfully, next week was Oliver's week to handle floor supervision while Tommy would be stuck up in his office filling out forms and shipment orders. Despite the hard work, Oliver was very grateful that he had Tommy. As he made his way up the steps and towards his office, Oliver found himself searching the crowd for a curly-haired blonde with bright blue eyes and glasses. He shook his head with a smile. He doubted that a club like Verdant was Felicity's scene. Besides, he wouldn't want to ask her out on a date in a crowded room with drunken idiots rubbing up against one another. When he asked her out, it would be sweet and perfect. He would make sure that she had no reason to say no.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the kind comments, I hope this chapter lives up to expectations! I'll try to get chapter 3 up asap. Tell me what you guys think!

* * *

Felicity sat cross-legged on the couch with her arms crossed against her chest. It was three in the afternoon on a Sunday...SUNDAY. She had last texted Cooper Friday night, asking him to call her back as soon as he could, and she had yet to hear a peep from the man. _What in the world could he possibly be doing?_ Felicity thought to herself. How could anything hold up his entire weekend? This was really beginning to become quite a hassle. Grabbing her phone from the table that sat in front of her, Felicity quickly dialed Cooper's number, giving herself no time to back out of the decision. The phone rang for exactly forty seconds before she hung up with a sigh. This had to be at least the fifth time she'd called him this weekend. He must have at least seen the missed calls...

The loud knock at her door brought Felicity from her thoughts. Her eyes instantly bulged from her sockets. _What if that's him?_ _I knew I wanted him to come over, but I haven't practiced my speech since Friday...I'm not ready yet!_

"Open your door, Smoaky! I know you're here, no one else in Starling owns a Mini Cooper with a Lord of the Rings bumper sticker!" The muffled voice called out from behind the door.

Felicity sighed with relief. _That was certainly not Cooper,_ she thought with an amused smile. There was only one person who called her "Smoaky" and would dare to comment on her Lord of the Rings obsession. Felicity pushed herself off her much-too-comfy couch and shuffled towards the door after another loud knock. Quickly unlocking the steel chain, she pulled it open to reveal the tall man on the other side.

"I always forget how short you are without heels," Tommy squinted his eyes at her before walking past her and into the flat.

Tommy Merlyn and Felicity Smoak had formed a unique and unlikely relationship after one very strange and confusing mess of a night. Felicity had been forced into a blind date by her friend, Iris, on one of her and Cooper's "breaks". Iris had insisted that Felicity needed a rebound, even though Felicity herself very much disagreed with the idea. That night, Iris had told her to travel to the restaurant and look for the man with a green tie and handkerchief. Coincidentally, Tommy Merlyn happened to be sitting by himself with those exact pieces of clothing. She and Tommy spent hours at that restaurant together and even went out to see a movie afterwards. When Felicity asked Tommy how he knew Iris however, he stared at her with confused eyes. It was at that moment that Felicity realized she had gone on an improvised date with the wrong person. The two laughed it off and went on several more awkward dates before deciding they were much better suited as friends. In fact, Felicity distinctly remembered the moment that she made that realization. It had begun with a small peck on the lips after Tommy dropped her off at her flat and ended with a "kissing you feels a bit like incest" comment. It was the truth though... It was the first and last time they ever kissed, and it felt 100% like she was making out with her brother...so much so that she actually brushed her teeth afterward.

"Why are you here, Merlyn?" Felicity asked with mock irritation, smirking lightly at the man who was currently glancing suspiciously around her flat.

"I called you about a million times yesterday to see how things turned out with Cooper," Tommy said, picking up the blanket that was flung haphazardly on her couch and glancing at the DVDs that sat on the living room table. "Were you watching Doctor Who again?"

"That is none of your business." Felicity grabbed the blanket from his hands and folded it. "I am a grown woman, I can watch whatever I want."

"Says the girl wearing kitten socks, purple yoga pants, and an MIT sweatshirt that looks like it belongs to a giant."

"I wasn't really expecting one of Starling City's playboys to drop by and criticize my clothing when I woke up this morning." Felicity teased nonchalantly as she jumped back onto the couch and rested her feet across the cushions.

"Well excuse my abrupt visit," Tommy lifted her legs and sat down, placing them in his lap. "But you wouldn't return my calls. What happened Friday night? Did Cooper actually show up this time?"

"No, he did not." Felicity answered with slight irritation. "I tried calling him and he hasn't even sent me a text."

"Lis, the guy's a total jerk. If he won't even give you the time of day, then don't waste your time on him either." Tommy stared at her with sympathetic eyes. "You tried to reach him and he's being difficult. Shoot the guy a damn text and consider the situation taken care of!"

"I can't do that, Tommy..."

"Yes you can! If you don't want to, then gimme your phone and I'll do it for you," Tommy smirked, holding out his palm for the gadget.

"Absolutely not," Felicity fixed him with a stern yet playful stare and swatted his hand away.

"Fine, but promise me you'll do something about this dude. He isn't good for you, and frankly I never liked him from the beginning." Tommy pouted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'll take care of it, Tommy. Stop worrying about me," Felicity glared at him again.

"Well, when you are officially single again, please give me a call so we can go celebrate the departure of this asshole from your life."

"Departure? Wow, someone's been using the dictionary." Felicity laughed, lifting her feet from the man's lap and walking into the kitchen.

"Yup," Tommy called after her. "I also learned that 'ennui' is a synonym for 'boredom'!"

"Congratulations, Tommy!" Felicity laughed. "You're finally making up for the time you wasted in high school!"

"Sure am, Lis," He teased back. "Guess what 'lassitude' means?"

* * *

Monday morning came before Oliver knew it. One second he and Tommy were preparing for the Friday night crowd and the next, they were getting ready for another week of work. Oliver sat in the front seat of his car for almost half an hour, simply contemplating sheer repetitive nature of his life. Everyday for the past six months he had done the same thing; get up, get dressed, head to the club, go home, and repeat. The club was fun and all, even more so with Sarah and Tommy there to keep him company every night, but the routine could get a bit boring sometimes. There was one thing that happened to bring a bit of light to his dull schedule: _Felicity Smoak_.

Oliver had not seen her since that fateful meeting at Queen Consolidated on Friday, but her bright pink lips and blonde hair had yet to leave his imagination. Maybe he could add her to his daily routine... Oliver smiled at the thought and started the car before he could talk himself out of the decision. Shooting Tommy a quick text to inform him that he would be arriving a bit later today, Oliver started in the direction of QC.

* * *

Felicity walked into her office with her handbag and a cup of coffee in her hands. Depositing the items onto her desk, the blonde fell into her chair and let out a groan. She had not gotten very much sleep last night after she regrettably drank an entire cup of coffee before getting ready for bed. It had been years since Felicity had gotten a hangover, but she imagined this is what they felt like. Tommy would know...maybe she should call Tommy. _He should certainly have advice on the best way to deal with a caffeine induced hangover._

"I find that the best cure is sleep."

Felicity jumped, almost toppling over in her chair as the voice rang through her office. She turned to face the doorway and found the same beautiful man that she had encountered on the lift Friday morning. _Why is he here? Why is he in my office? Why does he keep frightening me? Why is his smile so damn hot?_

"I imagine you didn't mean to say that out loud?" He grinned at her.

"I am so sorry," Felicity apologised halfheartedly. In all honesty, she did not have the energy to be embarrassed right now. "I didn't mean to call you hot, things tend to just come out sometimes..."

"Wow, no." He laughed nervously. "I actually meant the comment about caffeine induced hangovers, but thank you for that compliment as well, Miss Smoak."

"Ughhhh," Felicity placed her face in her hands and groaned. "I am so unprofessional, I hate myself. Please don't report me to HR, I promise that I'm not having sexual fantasies about you." Felicity suddenly realized that her comment could have been taken as an insult. "Not that you aren't worthy of my sexual fantasies or anything, because you are! With the muscles and tallness and beard...Beards don't usually do it for me, but you definitely make it work. I'm not saying that I'm attracted to your beard, it's more the whole package that draws me in. OH GOSH! I wasn't referring to yourpackage _package_! I was just making a general statement about your overall attractiveness as a human being...and I have just made everything worse so I am shutting up in 3, 2, 1...done."

Felicity looked up, expecting to find a horrified man occupying the door frame of her office, ready to get on the phone and file sexual harassment charges. Instead, she found the man standing in the middle of her office with the door closed, practically bent over in laughter. It took him several seconds to gather himself before he was standing upright again, and staring at her with a bit of a twinkle in his blue eyes. It was then that Felicity realised why his smile was so damn sexy...

The asshole had _dimples_.

"I don't believe a woman has every complemented my _package_ in that context, Miss Smoak." He chuckled again. "You don't have to worry about me contacting HR though, I don't actually work here."

"Then why are you in my office?" Felicity asked before she could filter the question to sound a bit more polite.

He took a second to ponder her question, as if he were asking himself the same thing. "You've drawn my attention, Miss Smoak..."

Felicity tilted her head slightly. _What the hell was that supposed to mean?_ Of course she had drawn his attention, she had just referred to his _package_ after all. Besides, no matter how hot this man was, she had actual work to do. She would certainly have to have a chat with security about allowing random people to waltz through QC, especially ones that didn't even work in the building. This man did have a familiar air to him though, something she couldn't quite place...

"I think that I've taken up enough of your time, have a wonderful day, Miss Smoak." With that, the man flashed his dimples at her and walked right out of her office.

Felicity sat in her desk chair, awfully confused about the entire situation. The man seemed to just show up, frighten her, say odd things, and then disappear. Felicity was beginning to wonder if he was even real. Maybe the lack of sleep was beginning to get to her...

"Oh my goodness, Felicity!" One of Felicity's coworkers, Carrie, stuck her brunette head into Felicity's office. "Since when are you getting personal visits from Oliver Queen?"

_Oliver Queen._

No wonder he seemed so familiar. His face was plastered across every gossip magazine in the city, he was the best buddy of one of her closes friends, and she worked in his family's company for goodness sake! How in the world had she not recognised Oliver _freaking_ Queen? Of course he was able to walk through the building without anyone batting an eye. What a fool she would have looked like if she approached security asking them to ban Oliver Queen from the building... Thank goodness for Carrie and her gossip addiction. Suddenly, the thoughts began to hit Felicity like a freight train.

_But wait._

_If that was Oliver Queen, then that meant..._

_Oliver Queen was just in my office._

_Oliver Queen was just in my office flirting with me._

* * *

Oliver walked through the doors of Verdant with a smile on his face...more like a giant toothy grin. The choice to add Felicity Smoak to his morning routine was the best one he had made in a very long time. The visit had not lasted more than ten minutes, but it would certainly keep him in a good mood for the remainder of the day. Her inappropriate babbling should have upset him, but frankly it was just another trait that he filed away under the column, "Absolutely Positively Adorable". Just the thought of her bright pink lips moving faster than her filter could handle made the sides of his mouth twitch upwards.

 _I really need to ask this girl on a date..._ , Oliver thought to himself as he saw Tommy coming down the stairs from his office.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Tommy asked as he approached his friend.

"I changed my routine this morning," Oliver smiled, walking over to sit down at a stool near the bar as Tommy followed.

Tommy's eyes narrowed slightly and he lifted his chin, as if contemplating Oliver's words. "Does this routine change involve a new lady friend?"

"That is none of your business, Merlyn." Oliver chuckled, got up from the seat, and began walking towards the stairs. Tommy always seemed to insert himself into Oliver's love life in one way or another. Felicity wasn't like the usual girls that he and Tommy dated though, she was different. He couldn't allow Tommy to make that assumption, which meant keeping them apart until the right time presented itself.

"Suit yourself," Tommy shrugged. "I need to talk to you about Saturday night though."

"What's happening Saturday night?" Oliver asked suspiciously.

"I'm gonna need the VIP section," Tommy informed him. "I'm throwing a surprise party for a friend of mine."

"Friend?" Oliver asked with even more suspicion. Oliver knew all of Tommy's friends. The two men had grown up together after all. As far as he knew, there was no one in Tommy's life that he did not met, or at least heard of.

"Yeah," Tommy said a bit nervously. "She's just getting out a relationship and I think she needs to have some fun. I thought a party would be nice."

"She?" Oliver's eyes widened.

"Yes, Oliver. My friend is a she." Tommy shook his head with a chuckle.

"You have female friends?" Oliver teased.

"This girl is different, Ollie. No messing around with her, she's my friend and she's important to me," Tommy warned lightly. "In a platonic way..."

Oliver nodded with understanding. That's exactly what he had been thinking about Felicity earlier. He could understand if Tommy wanted to make sure this girl didn't fall prey to their typical line of playboy douchebag that happened to hang around the club on party nights. Tommy and Oliver seemed to be in the same boat... _minus the platonic of course._ Oliver laughed in his head at that thought. Nothing he wanted to do with Felicity could ever be considered platonic...

"It's fine, Tommy," Oliver smiled and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'll make sure she has a good time and doesn't go home with any creepy guys."

"Thank you, Oliver." Tommy audibly sighed. "I'm serious when I say that she's important. I'd hate myself if I let anything happen to her, and I'll kill you if you let anything happen to her."

"Don't worry, buddy, I'll take care of it." Oliver laughed at Tommy's mock threat and began to ascend the stairs.

He really did have his work cut out for him today. It was Tommy's week to handle shipments and budget. Oliver would be taking care of schedules and floor supervision. That meant that he needed to get to working on this surprise party for Tommy's friend. He had a feeling that Tommy would not be happy if it wasn't up to par. Oliver's thoughts again drifted to the babbling blonde he had seen earlier that morning. Every time her face entered his mind, he felt sense of warmth wash over him...

The party could wait, right now he needed to think of the perfect way to get Felicity Smoak to agree to a date.

* * *

"I wish I could Tommy, but I'm staying late tonight." Felicity spoke into her mobile phone as she filled her mug with coffee. Taking a small sip, she made her way back to her desk in the dimly lit darkness of the IT floor hallway. Everyone else had already gone home for the night, but Felicity still had a few assignments to finish, particularly the systems update.

Tommy was trying to coerce her into taking a tour of his club, Verdant. She had promised to visit since the first day it had opened and yet never did. She would be lying if she said work was the only hinderance though. Truth be told, she was quite terrified of running into Oliver Queen again. Every encounter she seemed to have with the man was quite strange and dreamlike. The man just seemed to magically appear when she least expected him and say some odd and confusing comment before disappearing again.

"Come on, Lis, just for an hour? Please?" Tommy pleaded into the phone.

Felicity could hear the sounds of thumping music and loud voices in the background. Verdant was certainly not her scene. "I'll come by another time, Tommy, just not tonight."

"Fine, how about Saturday?" Tommy suggested.

Felicity narrowed her eyes slightly at the sound of his voice. There was a certain edge to it, something that didn't sound quite right...Tommy was planning something. "What's happening Saturday, Merlyn?"

"Nothing, I just want to show you around the club," Tommy answered innocently.

"You're a terrible liar," Felicity retaliated. She walked into her office and settled into the chair behind her desk.

"I'm not lying." Tommy reassured her again. "Just come by Saturday night. It'll be fun, I promise."

"Whatever, I'll try my best to stop by for a little...I'm not making any promises though."

"Good, I'll call you in a bit. Oliver just left, he said he had something to take care of, I gotta cover for him until he gets back."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later," Felicity answered, trying not to show her discomfort at the mention of Oliver.

Tommy seemed to be completely convinced and said his last goodbyes before hanging up the phone. Felicity sighed deeply, before powering up her desktop. It was going to be a long night...

"Who was that?"

Felicity jumped at the voice and swivelled her chair to face the open door. Her eyes widened slightly to see Cooper leaning against the doorframe stiffly. _Are you kidding me?_ Felicity thought to herself. _I've been calling him for days and he decides to just show up to my workplace unannounced...after business hours?_

"I figured you'd still be here, so I brought you dinner." Cooper smiled, holding up a white paper bag from Big Belly Burger. "But I'd still like an answer..."

"An answer to what?" Felicity but her tongue, holding back the anger that was seeping from her body. The nerve he had...

"Who was that?" Cooper asked again, pulling up a chair towards her desk and setting down the bag of food in front of her.

"Not that it's any of your business," Felicity clarified. "But Tommy called to see how I was doing."

"Tommy...Merlyn?" Cooper asked, raising an eyebrow. "Remind me again why you're friends with that rich asshole...?"

"Don't talk about him like that, Cooper, he's my friend." Felicity but her tongue once more.

"Friends, right. I forgot for a second." Cooper rolled his eyes and began to unwrap the food. "Anyway, why was he calling you?"

"I already told you," Felicity growled. "We were just talking."

"About...?" Cooper rolled his eyes at her again and bit into his burger.

"I have a better question for you." Felicity stood up and began to pace. She couldn't hold it in any longer. Cooper had the nerve to come into her office after weeks and begin questioning her relationship with her friends. "Where have you been for the past few weeks?"

"I've been busy, Lis." He shrugged and continued eating.

Felicity' mouth dropped open in disbelief. "Busy? You've been busy?" This had to be some kind of joke. Any moment now, Ashton Kutcher would rush in with a camera crew, right? "And don't call me 'Lis' anymore."

That statement caused Cooper to stop mid bite. "Why can't I call you 'Lis' anymore?" He leaned back in his seat and stared at her pacing form with her brows furrowed.

"Because, only the people who love me and are intricate parts of my life call me that," Felicity explained. "And you have proved that you are neither."

"Lis, that's ridiculous." Cooper stood up, clenching his fingers at his sides. "You know that I love you."

"Well, unfortunately Cooper, I can't say the same." Felicity rubbed her fingers together, attempting to relieve some of her agitation.

"What are you talking about?" Cooper asked. "We were fine just a few days ago. When did all this come along?"

"We haven't been fine for a very long time now, Cooper." Felicity shook her head and stopped pacing. She looked at Cooper and lowered her voice. This was not how she imagined this conversation going... "I can't do this anymore. Being in love with someone shouldn't be this hard."

"Felicity, every good relationship requires work. Since when are we not worth the work?"

"Being in love should be the happiest moment in someone's life, and...and it's not. I feel like I can't breathe, Coop. I feel like I'm trying to repair something that's been broken for ages, and I feel like I'm doing it alone. I haven't seen you in weeks! And when I do speak to you, it's over text! This is the first time I've heard your voice in the last month!"

"I've been busy, baby, I already told you that." Cooper yelled in return, taking a step forward. "I can't be around every second of the day to tell you that you look nice and to drive you to work! I have a life, just like you do! I've never asked you to give up your life for me, so why can't you do the same?"

"I don't want you to give up your life, Cooper!" Felicity yelled back. "I'm just saying that if I'm your girlfriend, then maybe a phone call every few days to let me know you're alive would be nice!"

"Where the hell did all of this animosity come from? We were fine when I last spoke to you!" Cooper pointed at her accusingly. "Was this that Tommy Merlyn asshole? Did he put you up to this?"

"No, Cooper! Not everything involves Tommy! The reason the two of us seemed fine the last time we spoke is because we haven't spoken in WEEKS!"

"You know that Tommy never liked me! Every time the two of you hang out, you just get dumber. That rich kid just wants to get into your pants, Lis. You know that, don't you?"

"That isn't true, Cooper!" Felicity yelled back. This was getting out of hand. "This has nothing to do with Tommy, and you need to stop speaking about him that way. Like it or not, he's my friend and he has always been there for me, especially when you weren't."

"All he cares about is money, parties, and sex... You think he gives two craps what happens to you?" Cooper yelled, taking another few steps in Felicity's direction.

"It doesn't matter! Tommy doesn't matter right now! This is about you and me, not Tommy, so, keep him out of it!"

"Jeez, Lis! You protect the dude like he's your kid or something!" Cooper yelled in disbelief. "Can't you realise that all of our problems began with that asshole?"

"Stop, Cooper!" Felicity yelled. She had had enough of this. Cooper had never been a big fan of Tommy and Tommy never liked Cooper either, but this was an entirely new level. Besides, why were they even talking about Tommy? She had no need to defend herself against his accusations.

"Felicity-"

"No, you need to stop talking and listen to me." Felicity glared at Cooper, daring him to say another word. "I'm too tired and too busy to spend anymore time debating whether or not I've made the right choice in terms of my friends. At frankly, that isn't something you get to dictate, especially since this is over. Whatever we had back in college is gone. We're done, Coop, now please leave before one of us says something that we won't ever recover from."

Cooper's face filled with even more rage than it held before. His palms were clinched into fists by his sides, causing his knuckles to turn bleach white. Felicity could almost see the steam coming from his ears and nostrils. He took a few steps towards her once more, and Felicity countered by stepping back. Soon, he had her backed against the wall. Cooper had never been violent towards her before...but then again, she had never broken up with him before either.

Cooper placed his palms against the wall behind her, caging her small body in between his palms. "We are not over, Felicity."

"Cooper, leave." Felicity stared back at him, attempting to hide the nervousness that was seeping its way into her.

"No, Felicity, we are going to talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about. You need to leave. Now," Felicity commanded again.

"Lis, you don't get to break up with me, do you understand."

"Get out, Cooper."

"We are not over until I say that we're over."

"Cooper, I will call security." Felicity held his gaze, refusing to back down.

Cooper's eyes darkened at her words. "This isn't a game, Lis." Cooper took one of his hands away from the wall and grabbed her arm in a tight grip.

"Cooper, let me go." Feeling attempted to keep her cool, staring right back at him as his grip on her arm strengthened. Felicity's iron resolve shattered as she let out a small groan at the pain.

"Cooper, please..." Felicity begged again. "You're hurting me."

"This is how it feels, Felicity," Cooper responded. "When the love of your life decides that she wants nothing to do with you, this is the pain that you feel. This is the pain that I just felt...hurts doesn't it?

"Cooper..." Felicity groaned out as she wiggled, trying to free herself from his grip.

"Apologise, Lis. That's all you have to do. Apologise and this will all be over. We can go back to loving each other, just the way we were before any of this happened. I just want to know that you're sorry."

"Over my dead body," Felicity stopped wiggling to stare straight into his eyes. "I will never apologise to you. Do whatever the hell you want to me, but this is over."

"At your request," Copper smiled sickeningly. He released her arm and placed the same palm over her throat, cutting off her circulation. "You said you couldn't breathe before. This is what it really feels like, Lis. Now tell me again that being with me is this bad."

"Cooper, it hurts, please..." Felicity croaked out. She grabbed onto his arms, trying to get him to release his grip, but it was fruitless. She could feel her consciousness begin to deteriorate and black dots filled her vision. The pressure of Cooper's fingers around her throat just increased with her words. He was saying something else now, but she couldn't make it out with her heart pounding in her chest.

Through the haziness, she managed to make out the words, "last chance" and "apologise". She couldn't respond, but she wouldn't have anyway. There was no way she would ever apologise to this man. Not in this lifetime.

Suddenly, she could feel the pressure on her throat begin to release. The hand on over her neck was pulled away and all she could do was crumple to the floor as she gasped for air. She tried to stand, but her legs wouldn't allow it. Her limbs felt like jelly and all she could see was fuzzy black dots. Reaching upwards from the floor, she finally grabbed hold of her desk chair. Felicity drew herself up from the floor into a kneeling position, resting her head against the chair as she coughed, drawing in breath after breath.

Felicity could barely hear the commotion in the room, loud voices and yelling. None of it fully registered in her mind however. The only thing on her brain was the need for oxygen. She still felt very light headed and the strength in her knees was still being sucked from her body. Felicity heard a loud slam before she felt large, warm hands guiding her up from the floor. Instantly she began to fight with the small amount of strength she had left. There was no way she was going to let Cooper get a hold of her again. These hands were much stronger than she was though. Soon, she was being hauled off the ground gently, and placed in her desk chair, where she slouched onto the metal desk in another fit of coughs.

Felicity could hear the deep, gentle voice calling her name desperately, but she couldn't respond. The realisation suddenly hit her.

That is not Cooper's voice.

Those strong gentle hands did not belong to Cooper. Whomever they did belong to was in debt of a major "thank you"; one that she would very willingly give as soon as she could talk again.

With that thought, Felicity felt her world fade into blackness...

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a pretty long chapter, hope you enjoy it! Thanks for all the really kind comments, they make my day!

Oliver stood behind the bar, overlooking the sea of people on the dance floor. It was quite a large crowd, especially for a Monday night. _Who goes to a club on a Monday anyway?_ Oliver thought to himself. The kind of people with no job, that's who.

Oliver sighed, rolling his eyes. He would much rather be anywhere but here right now. This was his least favourite part of the job: observing just how drunk and stupid people could get, just how drunk and stupid he used to be. Oliver momentarily considered retreating to his office for the next hour, but was interrupted by the slight buzzing of his phone in his pocket. Thankful for the distraction, Oliver quickly pulled out his phone to find a text from his little sister.

_Thea: Can you stop by QC on your way home? I had a problem w my computer and Walter said IT could fix it for me_

_Thea: Idk if they fixed it, but I have an essay due Wed. I need it bck_

Oliver smiled lightly at his sister's words. She was finally taking some responsibility for her schoolwork, even if it was in her senior year. It had taken four consecutive years to convince Thea that getting good grades did matter. There was no way he would deny her this request, especially if it meant she would finally be turning in an assignment on time.

_Oliver: No problem. Where is it?_

_Thea: I left it w a tech. Check inventory_

_Oliver: ok, I'll drop it off_

_Thea: thx Ollie_

Oliver pushed his phone back into his pocket. He spotted Tommy making his way down the stairs and towards the bar with his mobile phone pressed up against his ear. Tommy made his way over to Oliver, leaning against the bar table next to him. Oliver couldn't quite make out his friend's words due to the noise surrounding them, but he could see the mischievous smile on Tommy's face as he spoke to whoever was on the other line.

"Come on, Lis, just for an hour? Please?" Tommy said into the phone.

Oliver glanced over at him questioningly. _Lis? Who in the hell is 'Lis'?_ It was possible Tommy was speaking to this mysterious "platonic" female friend he had kept secret all this time. Oliver shook his head with a smirk, still in disbelief that Tommy had a female friend he had no interest in sleeping with.

"Fine, how about Saturday?" Tommy questioned, glancing over at Oliver questioningly.

Oliver quickly pulled out his phone, showing him Thea's messages. Tommy narrowed his eyes as the person on the other line spoke. Glancing through the messages quickly, Tommy looked at Oliver and nodded, giving him the go-ahead to take care of it. Oliver mouthed the words "thank you" in return, before leaving the bar and running upstairs to fetch his keys and head over to QC.

* * *

Oliver pulled up to QC and parked into a random empty spot. He took notice of the few cars that were still parked, particularly the Mini Cooper with a Lord of the Rings bumper sticker. Something about the sight made him chuckle to himself as he approached the elevator.

"Mr. Queen," the security guard greeted. "What's got you here so late?"

"Just picking something up for my sister," Oliver smiled back.

"Go on up," the guard offered, stepping away from the elevator to allow Oliver inside.

Oliver nodded his acknowledgement and stepped into the lift. He pressed the button for the IT floor and his mind was instantly graced with images of a bright, babbling blonde. If only Thea had texted him a bit earlier, he might have been able to catch her leaving the office. It was past eleven now though, mostly everyone had already gone home, it was very unlikely she would still be here. Suppressing his disappointment, Oliver focused on the task at hand. The doors to the lift opened and Oliver walked out and towards the receptionist desk, pulling out the binder of inventory to check for Thea's computer.

As he searched the list, Oliver heard a muffled squeal come from somewhere on the floor. He shook his head with disgust, assuming it was simply employees having a little too much fun after hours. He ignored the sounds and continued searching. When he found the location of Thea's laptop, he replaced the binder and walked towards the desk of the tech it had been assigned to. He found Thea's laptop in record time, leaving a note to inform the tech that he had taken it so as not to worry them of its sudden disappearance. Just as he was preparing to leave, Oliver heard more noise. This time it did not sound like noises of pleasure. He stilled for a moment, listening more intently.

"Cooper, it hurts, please..." Came the muffled female voice. Oliver could make out the distress and fear in her tone as she spoke.

He quickly dropped the laptop back onto the tech's desk, looking around for wherever the voice could have come from. This was serious, whoever this girl was, she was in trouble and she needed help.

"Last chance, Felicity." Came another voice, this time male. Oliver's ears perked at the sound. He instantly recognised the name, rushing down the floor towards Felicity's office.

"Apologise!" The male voice commanded, but there was no response.

Oliver's mind filled with rage as he neared Felicity's office door. Whoever had dared to hurt her was going to be sorry when he found them. He flung open the door without any hesitance and the sight that met his eyes was beyond enraging.

Felicity was pushed up against the wall, her small hands gripping the forearms of the brunette man who had his palms around her throat. Felicity's eyes were closed and her face was beginning to turn pale and blue as the grip she had on the man's arms loosened lightly. At that moment, all Oliver saw was red. He lunged for the man without a second of hesitance, pulling him away from Felicity by his collar. The man seemed to be slightly surprised by Oliver's presence but quickly recovered, throwing a punch that was quickly blocked. Oliver grabbed hold of his wrist, twisting it behind his back and pushing his chest up against the opposite wall.

"Let go of me, asshole!" The man yelled with the side of his head pinned to the wall.

Oliver didn't even know what to say. He wanted to pound this man into the ground, make sure he never got near Felicity or any other woman ever again. He wanted to wipe that smirk right off his face with a well-placed punch to the mouth. He was mere seconds away from doing just that when he heard the desperate coughing behind him. Glancing back, he saw Felicity kneeling against her office chair as she trembled, gasping for oxygen.

Oliver pulled the man away from the wall, keeping a firm grip on his wrist. He used his strength to push the man towards the door, making sure to apply much more force than necessary to the asshole's limb as he released it.

"Go," Oliver said with a hardened tone. His voice shook with anger. Never before had he felt as much wrath as he did in that exact moment. "Don't come back here or I will personally make sure that you never use your hands again."

The man snorted, but didn't argue. He simply smirked lightly at the sight of Felicity coughing. "See you soon, babe," He called out jokingly, waving to the woman with a teasing laugh.

"I said go!" Oliver took another step towards him, trying not to allow his anger to translate into violence.

The man laughed again at Oliver before turning on his heel and marching from the office, closing the door with a slam. Oliver closed his eyes tightly, willing the anger to subside. Another urgent cough from Felicity brought him out of his thoughts. He quickly rushed to her side, grabbing her arms gently and pulling her up off the floor. She flailed weakly, fighting back against his hold, but Oliver kept a firm and yet gentle grip on her form as he practically picked her up and deposited her into the desk chair.

"Felicity," Oliver called quietly, praying for some sort of response.

"Felicity, come on," He pleaded. He just needed something, anything that told him she'd be okay.

Felicity continued to fight his gentle touches for several more moments as her lungs drew in more and more air. Her breathing was beginning to steady, but Oliver didn't leave her side. He knelt on the floor beside her with one hand caressing her back. He could feel the tension in his body as he continued to suppress the anger he felt towards the man that had just left. He couldn't allow that to show right now, he needed to devote all his energy to making sure Felicity was alright. Oliver continued to rub her back soothingly until he realised that her movement had stopped. The erratic rise and fall of her form told him that she was still breathing, but she was certainly unconscious. Oliver panicked, looking around the room for something that could help. It was the buzzing of his phone in his pocket that reminded him that ambulances existed. Quickly pulling the device from his jeans, Oliver dialed 911. He wouldn't leave Felicity alone. He would sit and wait for the paramedics to arrive and then drive to the hospital right behind them if need be. All he could do then was hope that everything would be okay.

* * *

The first thing Felicity noticed was the blinding pain coming from her right temple. She winced slightly, letting out a low moan as she brought her hand up to lightly massage the area just above her eyebrow. She cracked open her eyes slowly and was immediately assaulted by bright white fluorescent lights burning into her eye sockets and making her head throb even more. She groaned again, closing her eyes tightly and attempting to lift herself into a sitting position. She could hear the steady beep of a heart monitor echoing inside her head. The steady throbbing and blue dots behind her eyelids distracted her from the opening of the room door as it clicked open and then shut.

"Felicity...?" Came a hesitant voice from in front of her.

"Hey, yeah..." Felicity croaked out in acknowledgement with a wince. She sighed lightly as she leaned back against the pillows behind her as she finally sat up straight in the bed. Felicity heard quiet footsteps as her visitor approached the right side of the bed. She rubbed her eyes with the base of her palms, opening them up slowly, and again wincing at the bright lights.

"Are...are you okay? Do you want me to get help?" The nervous voice came again.

Felicity didn't respond, opting instead to glance around the room she was in. Without her glasses, Felicity could hardly tell where she was or what she was seeing. _Where the hell am I?_ Felicity thought to herself, squinting her eyes to get rid of the blur that encompassed her vision.

"Starling General," The voice responded.

Felicity jumped at his words, forgetting that she wasn't alone in the room. She must have said her thoughts out loud...again. She heard the man chuckle lightly next to her, seemingly understanding that she had not meant to receive a response to her inquiry. This did not seem as funny to Felicity; after all, she was trapped in a hospital bed with a random man standing beside her, a throbbing headache, and virtually no vision. The man's voice did seem familiar, and from what she could see through the blurriness, he was quite tall with dark blonde hair and a little scruff. _Maybe he's my nurse...my very, very, hot nurse..._

With the idea that she was not in any danger, Felicity took the chance. "D-do you ha-have my glasses by any chance?"

"Oh, right!" He said, seemingly happy to finally be able to help in some way. He grabbed something from the table beside her bed, placing them inside of her open hands that rested in her lap. Felicity's breath caught for a second as his large, warm, gentle hands brushed against her small fingers. _Large, warm, gentle..._ Instantly, everything came rushing back. All the events of the night flooded back in milliseconds; breaking up with Cooper, getting pinned to the wall, crumbling to the floor, and most of all, those strong, gentle hands that pulled her up and seemingly brought her here. As the memories poured in, Felicity gasped, dropping her glasses into her lap.

"Felicity?" The voice called worriedly, placing one of his large, warm, gentle hands onto her trembling wrist.

Felicity couldn't respond, it was almost as if Cooper had a hold of her throat all over again. She knew he wasn't here, but she still strained for oxygen, drawing in deep laboured breaths.

"I-I'm going to get a nurse," The voice said to her, drawing his hands away. Felicity felt the loss of the contact, craving his skin on hers once more. She heard as her hero, whoever he may be, left the room.

She tried to reach for her glasses that were somewhere on the bed, but her shaking hands found nothing but soft sheets. If she could only find her glasses, she could reassure herself that Cooper was not here, that she could breathe easily knowing she wasn't in any danger. She could feel her eyes begin to prick with tears, both at her own stupidity and the fear that was quelling inside of her. She knew Cooper wasn't here, she knew it, and yet it still felt as if his fingers were wrapped around her throat. She longed for the strong, warm, gentle hands that had dragged Cooper away from her and pulled her up from the ground, the nervous voice that had desperately called out her name as she faded into unconsciousness. Something-anything that would give her a sense of safety and reassurance.

 _Damn that man for leaving me alone,_ Felicity thought to herself.

Soon she could hear the sound of hurried feet rushing towards the open door of her hospital room before her bed was crowded by blurred faces talking rapidly over head and shining bright lights into her eyes. She wanted to tell them to stop, to say she was perfectly fine, but the words wouldn't come out. All she wanted were those strong, warm, gentle hands to hold her fingers tightly in his own. Her wish did not come true however, as the urgent speaking continued and the bodies in the room multiplied.

Felicity felt a small prick against her arm before her eyelids began to become heavy once more. As her mind slowly shut down, there was only one thought ringing through Felicity's mind...

_I want my glasses._

* * *

Oliver sat in the waiting room, waiting for Felicity to walk through the doors. After Felicity's panic attack last night, the nurses had sedated her to help calm her rapidly increasing heartbeat. The nurses had ensured Oliver that Felicity would be fine and encouraged him to go home and get some rest before coming back tomorrow. That is exactly what he had done, and he came back this morning to the news that Felicity was signing herself out.

The sound of the doors swinging open brought Oliver's eyes up from his hands and towards the blonde that stood nervously in the front of the room. She fidgeted with the bright blue dress she wore, the same one she had on last night at the office. When her searching eyes finally landed on his, her body seemed to tense as she approached him. Oliver stood up, offering a light smile in greeting.

"Hey," Oliver said once she was standing in front of him. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay...I guess," She croaked out, looking anywhere except for his eyes.

"Are you sure you're okay to leave? Maybe the doctors could do more if you stayed one more night."

"No," Felicity insisted, shaking her head back and forth rapidly. "I need to get back to work, like right now."

"I think you should take time to rest first, Felicity."

"I can't. I have so much to do, and the IT department will never manage without me," Felicity protested. "I just need my purse so I can get a cab. I-it wasn't with my stuff and the nurse said that she doesn't have it. D-did you take it with you by any chance?"

"It's probably back at your office," Oliver informed her. He placed a comforting palm on her elbow. "I'll drive you back, Felicity, but I think you should take some time off. I know Walter wouldn't mind approving it himself."

"I just...I need to get to the office, okay? I need to work. I-I can't sit at home and do nothing." Felicity's voice shook with emotion, as she backed away from his touch. She kept her gaze on the floor, refusing to meet his blue eyes.

"Talk to your supervisors," Oliver suggested. "Maybe taking some time to recover will do you better than drowning yourself in work to forget."

Felicity didn't respond, she simply nodded and gestured for him to lead the way to his car. Oliver smiled at her lightly, although he doubted she even noticed since she still stared down at the floor. Oliver couldn't help but notice the dark bruise around her throat; a bruise that she seemed to be attempting to cover by allowing her long blonde hair to flow down her neck and over her shoulders. As they reached his car, Oliver reached around to open the door for her. He almost pumped his fist into the air when Felicity looked up to give him a small thankful smile as she slid into the passenger seat. He allowed himself to grin widely at her response as he walked around to the driver's seat.

* * *

Felicity woke from her bed with a start. Glancing at the clock on her bedroom dresser, Felicity groaned, throwing her head back onto the pillow in irritation.

_3:45 in the afternoon._

Felicity had woken up from a nap at 3:45 in the afternoon. Oliver had politely taken her to QC yesterday and left afterwards. She was quite thankful when he said that he had to leave, because there was no way she could keep her mouth under control if he was sitting in her living room. It had taken all of her effort not to embarrass herself when she was sitting in his car; especially when he kept glancing over at her with his worried, caring eyes. It was even harder when he kept placing his large, warm, gentle hands on her shoulder. rmally, she would be at work at this time on a Wednesday, but unfortunately the IT director and even Walter Steele himself had pretty much forced her into taking a few days off after hearing the news of what had transpired in her office late Monday night. Since emergency responders were called to the scene, she didn't have much of a choice in telling her boss and the CEO. She had however asked that they and the security guards kept the situation under wraps. The last thing Felicity needed was sympathy and she highly doubted the company would benefit from a domestic abuse crisis taking place inside of the assistant IT director's office.

Oliver had driven Felicity to QC yesterday and offered to drive her back to her flat later, but she kindly denied his request. She hadn't been herself that morning, but she knew she would be back to her constant inappropriate babble within a few hours. It would be best if Oliver weren't around by then. She never got to thank him for stopping Cooper and making sure she was alright afterwards. Goodness knows what could have happened if he had not been there to diffuse the situation. The only comfort she took was the sense of normalcy she would get from jumping right back into work. Unfortunately, the second she walked into the building, she was called up to Walter Steele's office on the executive floor. She was then informed in very polite language that she was to take a nonnegotiable break for the remnant of the week. She could hardly argue with the CEO, so naturally Felicity accepted her fate and went home, informing her coworkers that she needed to take care of a family emergency.

She had not seen nor spoken to Oliver since he dropped her off at QC, and she was not sure she wanted to either. The man struck Felicity as quite strange. Besides, she was almost certain that any conversation she had with a human as handsome as Oliver Queen would end with her very embarrassing and inappropriate babbling. She did owe him a long overdue apology, but she could just ask Tommy to pass that along for her...right? Or would that be too insensitive? Maybe an email would suffice...

Felicity's sleep-ridden thoughts were cut short by a loud knock at the door, probably what had woken her up in the first place. With another loud groan, Felicity drew herself from the bed and into the living room. She knew exactly who it would be without even checking the peephole. Flinging the door open violently, Felicity glared at the man standing before her that had interrupted her sleep.

"What do you want, Merlyn?" Felicity practically growled.

"Where the hell is he, Lis?" Tommy growled back, pushing himself into her flat. "I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna break his damn fingers one by one and then kill him."

"Tommy, I'm really not in the mood for this right now." Felicity rubbed her hands over her face, wiping away the sleep.

"Don't protect him, Felicity!" Tommy yelled, whipping around to stare at her. It was then that Felicity noticed his palms clenched at his sides and the rigid stance of his body. "I never liked Copper, Lis, you know that more than anyone else...But never! Never in the years that you've been dating him, did I ever think he was capable of this!"

"Tommy-" Felicity reached for his arm, trying to calm him down but the enraged man quickly pulled away and began pacing around the room.

"No, Felicity! I've wanted to shove his damn smirk up his ass for years and you always protected him! Every single time you told me I'd regret it if I ever laid a finger on the asshole! This time, I am 100% certain that I will not regret it when I shove him up against a wall and knock his front teeth out! You need to tell me where he is, Felicity, because if I have to find him myself it won't be pretty!" Tommy stopped and pointed his finger in her direction, his eyes practically flooding with rage.

"I don't know where he is, Tommy..." Felicity said gently. Honestly she was too tired for this conversation. With a sigh, Felicity plopped down onto the couch.

"Please tell me you are pressing charges, Lis. Please tell me that you've contacted the police and that they are searching for him." Tommy came to stand in front of her, glaring down at her small form curled up against the cushions.

"I don't know what I'm doing, Tommy, I just want it to be over," Felicity admitted. "Cooper took years of my life, I'm just so tired of devoting time to him... I want all of this to be over so I can go back to my stupid boring life as an IT girl."

Tommy sighed, flopping down on the couch next to her. He would be lying if he said that he understood her point of view, but he would respect her decisions...Felicity was always smarter than him anyway. "Fine...But if I ever see his face again, I am going to pound it so hard that his future grandchildren will feel it."

"Only if I get to pound him first," Felicity smiled jokingly.

"Deal." Tommy gave her a high-five before they both settled into a comfortable silence. "Who knows?"

"Mr. Steele, Mr. Lewis, the EMTs and police officers that arrived on scene, the doctor and nurses, and now you." Felicity chose to not mention the fact that Oliver also knew. It would probably be best to allow Oliver to inform Tommy of that fact anyway. Besides, it was possible that Tommy already knew after all. He did tell her that he and Oliver told each other everything... "How did you even find out, anyway?"

"Your mom called me," Tommy informed her as Felicity groaned. "She's your next-of-kin, so the hospital called to tell her your condition. She said you weren't answering her calls, so she asked me to check up on you."

"Ugh, since when do you talk to my mom?"

"Since she thinks I'm a 'sexy playboy with a heart of gold and the body of a Greek god,'" Tommy smiled teasingly. "Her words, not mine."

"Ew gross!" Felicity pushed him lightly and lifted herself off the couch. "I think I'm gonna vomit. Stop flirting with my mother."

"She flirted with me!" Tommy defended himself. "Besides, I can't help it if the ladies are drawn to me. I accept women of all colours, races, body types, cultures, and ages."

"Oh how incredibly feminist of you not to discriminate amongst the women you have meaningless sex with and then never call back," Felicity responded sarcastically as she walked towards the kitchen for a cup of tea.

"It's meaningless for them too!" Tommy yelled after her. "It's not like I promise a marriage only to kick them out the next morning!"

"Have you ever thought about the fact that you are not getting any younger, Merlyn?" Felicity asked as the water heated up. "Maybe it would be nice to find a girl you _can_ promise marriage to."

"Ew, Felicity!" Tommy yelled with a laugh. "That would ruin my image! You do realise that my business is built off of the fact that it is run by two of Starling city's most eligible bachelors?"

Felicity mixed her tea and left the kitchen, sitting back down into the couch next to Tommy. "And what if one day Oliver settles down and you get all lonely because he has a wife to go home to and you're still picking up girls?"

"Tell you what, Smoaky." Tommy smirked mischievously and turned his whole body to face Felicity. "When Oliver finds a nice, wholesome chick that is totally marriage material, I will start taking my dating life just as seriously." Tommy extended his hand, urging her to shake on the bet.

"Well then you've got yourself a deal, Merlyn." Felicity accepted, shaking his palm firmly. For Tommy's sake, Felicity hoped that Oliver would find a girlfriend soon or else he and Tommy would have nothing but each other in their old age.

* * *

"You need a girlfriend for this stuff, Ollie!" Thea yelled irritably as she rummaged through her brother's closet. "It is not my job as a little sister to make sure your clothes match."

"Thea, please," Oliver sighed. "Just tell me what looks best with these jeans."

"Ugh, you sound like me. They're just jeans, literally everything works with jeans!" Thea yelled as she pulled a navy blue button up shirt from a hanger. "Here, this should be fine."

"Are you sure it's not too...dressy?" Oliver stared nervously at the shirt Thea was holding out to him.

"Just put it on, Ollie!" Thea threw the shirt towards him and dived back into the closet for a pair of shoes. "Why do you need my help anyway? I've been begging to give you fashion advice since I was twelve and you always looked at me like I was crazy."

"It's important this time," Oliver responded as he buttoned the shirt.

Thea walked out of the large closet slowly and turned to her brother with narrowed eyes. "What do you mean by 'important'?"

Oliver rolled his eyes. "I need to look presentable, that's all."

"Is this for a girl?" Thea asked with wide eyes. "Oliver Queen is making an effort to impress a girl?"

"Thea," Oliver warned with a sigh.

"Oh my gosh, Ollie, you are!" Thea squealed, jumping up and down. "I have to meet her! You've never tried to impress a girl before! What's she like? Is she smart? Do I know her? Did you meet her at the club? What does she do? Can I meet her? You have to let me meet her!"

"One question at a time, Thea!" Oliver yelled with a small smile. He would be lying if he said that it didn't make him happy to know that his sister wanted to meet the special woman in his life this much. Although, he and Felicity really didn't have much of a relationship as yet, not even a friendship really. They were barely even acquaintances to be honest. In fact, the first time he spoke to her in that lift, Oliver was quite certain Felicity didn't even know who he was. Besides, after what he witnessed Monday night, Oliver wasn't sure Felicity would be ready for another relationship for quite a while... Oddly enough, he was willing to wait. It was a feeling Oliver had never felt before in his life. Not once had he ever been so willing to wait for a woman. There was something about Felicity that he just found so appealing that he knew he would never find it anywhere else; something that he was more than prepared to put his life on hold for.

"Oh my gosh! You're thinking about her, aren't you?" Thea squealed again as she stared up at her brother. "You just had the most adorable smile on your face, you looked like a little puppy! I have to meet her, Ollie!"

"We aren't even together, Thea." Oliver dismissed his sister, attempting to suppress his grin.

"Yet," Thea corrected with another wide smile. The girl jumped off the bed with a renewed vigor, skipping into Oliver's closet and bringing out a pair of dark blue shoes. "Try these."

"Oxfords, Thea?" Oliver looked at her incredulously. "Do I look seventy?"

"They're casual Oxfords and they match your shirt," Thea stated matter-of-factly. "Besides, they show off your gentle side."

Oliver hesitantly took the shoes from Thea's hands, and sat on the bed to begin putting them on.

"So, if you aren't with this girl yet," Thea pondered aloud. "How are you planning to seduce her?"

Oliver shook his head with a chuckle as he tied his laces. "I'm not planning to seduce anyone, Thea. I think she's wonderful just the way she is, I can only hope that she feels the same."

"Aweeee!" The squeaked, flopping onto the bed beside him. "That's so adorable! This girl makes you all mushy! I want to meet her _so_ bad..."

"Hopefully, she likes me enough then," Oliver responded dismissively. He stood up from the bed and straightened his shirt before turning to his sister. "Okay, how do I look?"

"Like there's a very important girl waiting to see you," Thea smiled sweetly.

"Well then, I think we're good." Oliver chuckled, walking over to grab his keys. "Let yourself out?"

"Of course," Thea responded. Just as Oliver was making his way towards the door, Thea called after him. "Actually, Ollie, one more thing!"

Oliver stopped, turning to face her questioningly. Thea jumped off the bed and rushed over to him, unbuttoning the cuffs on his shirt sleeves and folding them over a few times.

"Roll up your sleeves, girls love that." Thea smiled. "And if your girl doesn't, then she's not human."

* * *

Felicity placed her laptop on the coffee table in front of her and propped her feet up into the couch with a loud sigh. Tommy had left a while ago, claiming that he had some business to take care of, leaving Felicity sitting in her boring flat by herself. The two of them had confirmed that she would still attempt to stop by Verdant on Saturday night, but didn't make any plans otherwise. Frankly, Felicity wished she had a reason to leave her flat. Normally, she would much rather sit at home watching Netflix, but right now, all she wanted to do was leave...

Just then, a very preppy knock sounded at her door. Felicity glanced at the screen of her laptop.

_7:38 PM_

Felicity certainly was not expecting anyone else for the day, and definitely not at 7:30 in the evening. She quickly looked down at her attire. _Great, Doctor Who pyjama bottoms, pink cupcake socks, and an oversized sweatshirt that probably belonged to Barry or someone..._ Felicity certainly did not look presentable. She didn't even consider her hair, which was currently up in a very messy, tangled bun with strands falling around her neck and in her face. She hadn't left her flat in three days, there was no need to straighten her hair or put on makeup. Her face was barren and her hair had reverted to its curly, unruly state that had plagued her childhood. The only comfort she had was that she had put her contacts on this morning when her glasses had mysteriously gone missing. She found them later in the kitchen, but by then, she was much too lazy to switch.

Another light knock at the door brought Felicity out of her thoughts. She jumped off the couch and approached the door, standing still for a moment to straighten her shirt as if that would make a difference. Without looking through the peephole, Felicity grabbed the doorknob and wrenched it open, revealing a much more pleasant and slightly terrifying sight than Felicity expected.

Oliver Queen stood tall in front of her with his adorably sexy dimpled smile and sparkling blue eyes looking back at her. Her eyes traveled up his body, taking in his appearance. She tried not to dwell too long on his slim dark blue jeans that fitted his perfect form, instead allowing her eyes to travel up to his torso. She let out a small gasp when she saw the sleeves of his navy blue button-up shirt rolled up to just below his elbows. His perfectly toned forearms contrasted with the black watch he wore on his left wrist. She could see the muscles in his arm contracting and the blue vein that ran from his wrist and up under his sleeves as he raised his arm to rub the back of his neck nervously. When her eyes raised slightly to his face, she realised that she was not the only one affected by the other person's attire. The subtle movement of his eyes as he drew the ocean-blue orbs up her body made Felicity fidget slightly. A part of Felicity wanted to believe that Oliver found her just as attractive as she found him, but there was no way that someone like her would ever end up with someone like him. Especially after he witnessed the type of person she had just been in a relationship with; Felicity was surprised that Oliver didn't run the other way the second she had had that panic attack... When their wondering eyes finally met each other, Felicity was drawn out of her dimple-induced reverie.

"What are you doing here?" Felicity asked abruptly. She winced visibly as she heard her own words. "I meant, why are you here?"

Oliver shuffled from foot to foot nervously at her eyes, opening his mouth and then closing it again as he searched for some sort of response. Felicity could make out the hurt on his face and she slowly backtracked over her words once more. "Jeez, I didn't mean for it to come out like that, I swear. I just mean, why are _you_ here? As in, what is _the_ Oliver Queen doing on _my_ doorstep? Not that I mind you being on my doorstep! Cause I don't. It's strange, that's all. I don't mean that _you're_ strange, I just mean that this whole situation is a bit strange. Well, you are a bit strange if I'm being honest. But that's just my opinion! I don't mean that you're strange like you're a weird type of strange. I just mean that you're different than other people I've met. You always show up randomly when I don't expect you to be there and then leave very suddenly...Like on Tuesday! You just dropped me off and then left. Not that I mind or anything! You're a busy guy...you're Oliver Queen...And I'm Felicity Smoak. Which again leads me to me original question...What are you doing here?"

The nervousness that was previously in Oliver's face seemed to dissipate as she babbled, turning instead into amusement. "I just wanted to check up on you after yesterday," Oliver clarified. "And I apologise for leaving so suddenly at Queen Consolidated. I would have stayed, but something important came up."

"No!" Felicity's eyes widened. "You-you didn't have to stay. You saved my life, that's way over the limit of what I could ever ask you for. Besides, I am a grown woman after all, I can take care of myself."

"Right, of course." Oliver smiled lightly, glancing behind her into the room for a second before returning his eyes to her face.

"Oh yeah," Felicity placed her palm against her forehead and pushed the door open wider to allow him inside. "Sorry, come on in."

"Thanks," He smiled again, flashing his dimples in her direction.

"It's a bit of a mess in here, I haven't really been going out too often. Mr. Steele and Mr. Lewis won't let me back at QC until next week, so I've been trying to do what I can from here."

"Maybe Walter and Mr. Lewis are right," Oliver offered gently. "You should be taking it easy, give work a break for a while."

"I know they're right, but work is the only thing keeping me sane," Felicity laughed lightly. "I haven't left this place since I got home."

Oliver laughed, but didn't respond. Felicity noticed his not-so-subtle glance around the room, taking notice of everything. His eyes eventually landed on the messy coffee table. His narrowed eyes scanned the contents of the flat surface before his face broke out into a wide grin.

"Doctor Who...?" He questioned with a smile, picking up her DVD box set with the title plastered across the cover. "It's a...British show, right?"

"Yep," Felicity said quickly, trying not to allow her geekiness to flood out.

"Walter used to make my sister and I watch this all the time," Oliver laughed at the memory with a hint of sadness in his smile.

"Sounds like fun," Felicity smiled lightly as he set the box back onto the table. "Would you like anything, by the way?"

"No," Oliver shook his head with dismissal. "I just came to see how you're doing...after everything."

"Oh! Well..." Felicity looked around for some sort of distraction. That was not exactly a question she could answer honestly, and she did not know Oliver that well yet. "I'm alright so far. I guess I just need to get out of the house..."

Oliver widened his eyes and opened his mouth to respond before closing it. Felicity glanced down to see his fingers twitching against his jeans as his face contorted itself nervously. "Maybe I could take you somewhere...?" He almost mumbled.

Felicity widened her eyes with surprise... _Is Oliver Queen offering to take me out...?_

"I um..." Felicity swallowed visibly. "You don't have to, Mr. Queen. My friend is gonna take me out Saturday, so you shouldn't feel obligated to-"

"Felicity," Oliver interrupted her. He approached her slowly, placing a hand on her naked elbow. Felicity tried her best not to show the impact the skin-to-skin contact was having on her. She closed her eyes for a second, suppressing the feeling that was beginning to rise...whatever feeling that may be. Oliver smiled lightly before continuing his statement. "I don't feel obligated to do anything. I want to make sure you're doing okay and I highly doubt it's very healthy to sit inside your apartment all week binge watching Doctor Who... and please call me Oliver."

Felicity chuckled, moving her arm away from his to rub the back of her neck. She took a step back, trying to put some space between them. Oliver's face briefly showed the hurt he felt at her actions, before he quickly steeled himself again. The change in emotion was so quick and subtle that Felicity was barely sure she had seen it.

Felicity looked around her flat once more, pleading for something she could use as an excuse to stay home. It wasn't that she didn't want to spend time with Oliver...it's just that the more he hung around, the stronger that strange feeling in the pit of her stomach grew. Every time he showed up randomly, her belly fluttered, and there was a very strong part of her brain that knew it would hurt more than ever when he inevitably left for whichever leggy brunette was sure to be occupying his bed for the evening. Felicity couldn't let herself have feelings for someone that didn't feel the same way, it would hurt too much. Of course he had flirted with her previously, and he may or may not have been checking her out earlier on the porch, but he was Oliver Queen. That's just what he did. The man flirted with everything that had a pulse and some things that didn't. As far as Felicity was concerned, Oliver was just being Oliver. Even if he did find her attractive, there was no way he wanted anything more from her than one night of fun. Tommy had said it himself, Oliver Queen was not the type of man to settle down. Felicity owed him her life, but she certainly did not owe him her heart.

"Mr. Queen..." She began, still searching for an excuse. "I don't know if this is a good idea."

Felicity finally settled with honesty. She didn't elaborate, although Oliver seemed to understand her words perfectly clear. He made no move to back down however, offering one more request.

"It doesn't have to mean anything if you don't want it to, Felicity," Oliver clarified with a soft, yet disappointed voice.

Felicity looked up from her feet startled. _Wait,_ She thought to herself. _Does he want it to mean something?_

"And again," Oliver continued, this time with a smile. "To you, I'm Oliver."

Felicity sighed, realising that she had no excuse now. "You know what? Sure, let's go somewhere!"

"Great," Oliver responded with a wide grin. He paused and looked down at her clothes. "I'm all up for keeping it casual, but as much as I love the TARDIS pyjama bottoms, maybe you should change into pants that'll raise a little less eyebrows."

Felicity laughed genuinely this time, drawing out Oliver's own dimpled smile once more. "What if I don't wanna wear pants?"

Oliver's eyes widened and he raised his eyebrows, offering a mischievous smirk. Felicity watched his reaction, slowly realising her terrible choice of words.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it like that," Felicity covered her face in shame. "Of course I'm going to wear pants. I would never _not_ wear pants around you, Mr. Queen. I would never _not_ wear pants around anybody, but especially you. Mostly because you're...well, you're _you_. Ugh, I can't believe I just said I didn't want to wear pants... I understand if you don't want to go anywhere now, it's fine. I'll just go drown my embarrassment in a bucket of ice cream..."

"Felicity," Oliver laughed. He reached to place his hand on her arm, before drawing it back suddenly. Felicity inwardly groaned at his decision not to touch her, but didn't allow her disappointement to show. "You shouldn't be embarrassed. I love it when you do that, it's adorable. And I'm asking you again to call me Oliver:"

 _Adorable?_ Felicity thought. _He thinks my unintentional sexual innuendos and uncontrollable babbles are adorable?_

"Yes, adorable," Oliver confirmed. "I also find it adorable when you speak out loud without realising it."

Her eyes widened again, and Oliver's grin threatened to split his face in half. Felicity visibly cringed at the whole situation. "Before I humiliate myself any further, I'm just gonna go change." Felicity pointed to her bedroom, sidling her body between Oliver and the coffee table towards her room. As she walked, Felicity turned back quickly. "I promise I'll remember the pants."

Oliver laughed again, placing a hand on his stomach. Felicity smiled at the sight. It was nice to know that someone other than Barry found her jokes funny. She offered another smile, before turning back towards the bedroom.

"Oh, and Felicity," Oliver called out to her. Felicity turned to face him questioningly. He smirked lightly before continuing with his statement. "If you ever decide not to wear pants around me, I wouldn't object."

Felicity made an unintelligible squeak as she felt her cheeks heating with a deep blush. Oliver smiled innocently at her reaction, making the butterflies in Felicity's stomach flutter even more. Turning quickly on her heel, Felicity practically ran into her bedroom, trying her best not to think of the implications of that statement.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I worked pretty hard on this one, but I don't know how I feel about it. Tell me what you think anyway!
> 
> Thank youuuzzz


	4. Chapter 4

Oliver grinned widely at the sound of Felicity's hearty laugh. He still couldn't believe that this wonderful, strong, beautiful woman was sitting across from him right now. Technically, this wasn't a date, but Oliver would give every ounce of his belongings to turn it into one. When Felicity had practically sprinted into her room earlier at his less than subtle comment about her pants, he had been terrified that any chance at wooing such an amazing woman had been blown because of his forwardness. His doubts had been crushed however when the blonde exited her room in a cream-coloured knitted sweater that covered her wrists and palms, highlighting her bright turquoise finger nails that stuck out from beneath the long, baggy sleeves. And yes, she had been wearing pants, just as she had promised; pants that hugged her body in just the right places... It was almost like she was trying to kill him. Oliver couldn't decide if she looked adorable or sexy in that very moment. That cream sweater made him want to cuddle her into his side and watch a Disney movie, while her tight-fitted jeans gave him the urge to back her into a wall and kiss her until she couldn't think anymore. When he noticed the black and white panda flats she wore on her feet, Oliver just chuckled, realising that the words sexy and adorable did her no justice.

Oliver had peeled his eyes away from her captivating form long enough to suggest they grab some coffee at his longtime favourite spots, Coffee Co. It had been a pleasant surprise when she informed him that Coffee Co was her go-to beverage spot as well. It made him wander how they hadn't run into each other sooner. That's where they sat now; opposite one another in a corner booth against the window as he told stories of growing up in a slightly dysfunctional family while she laughed and sipped her coffee. He had just finished the story of the time he and Tommy had broken his grandmother's hundred-dollar vase and the two of them were laughing together like old friends.

"What about you?" Oliver asked as he scratched the foam cup his coffee was in. "Any funny stories from growing up?"

"My childhood wasn't exactly fun," Felicity clarified with a smile. "My mom was working two jobs to put me through school, so I didn't have much time to screw around. We didn't have a whole lot of money, I couldn't let her waste what little she had worked for because I made some stupid drunken mistake."

Oliver felt his stomach squeeze slightly at her comment, but didn't respond. His teenage years were riddled with stupid, drunken mistakes, but Oliver's parents always had enough money to get him out of it. There was never a mistake too expensive for the Queen family to erase. Felicity's mother had worked tirelessly to send her daughter to the college of her choice; whereas, Oliver had dropped out of four ivy league universities because he was too drunk and lazy to turn up to classes and finish the semester... Felicity was too good for him, in every way imaginable. But Oliver would be damned if he let his youth ruin the chance he had with this gorgeous, brilliant woman.

Oliver noticed Felicity's eyes widen at her own words, and he restrained his smile, recognising the telltale sign of an upcoming babble. Oliver loved it when her thoughts managed to escape her lips without proper screening, it gave him a look into what was going on inside her beautiful head. However, Oliver was acutely aware that it also meant she was nervous and uncomfortable. The way she averted her eyes while words poured out of her mouth made Oliver want to lift her chin and let her know that nothing she could ever say was embarrassing enough to drive him away from her. Oliver knew that he couldn't do that though, so instead he opted for stopping her before she dug herself too deep.

"I didn't mean it like that, I'm so sorry. I just meant that we come from different backgrounds, so-"

"Felicity," Oliver stopped her with a smile. "I know what you meant. It's fine. I'm not offended."

Felicity smiled nervously, rubbing her wrist. She nodded, accepting his words, but keeping her mouth closed. Oliver assumed she was afraid another flood of words would pour out if she opened them again. It made him want to hunt down whoever had made her believe that this action was one to be ashamed of. In his opinion, it was absolutely adorable. If need be, he would devote his entire life to proving to her that all of her quirky, nervous actions made his heart skip a beat.

"You are right though," Oliver commented when it was clear Felicity would not be saying anything else. At Felicity's confused expression, Oliver elaborated. "My family has always had enough money to bail me out of my mistakes. I used to take it for granted, but now I know that not everyone gets that privilege. If I could trade you, I would."

"Thank you." Felicity smiled again, albeit still a bit nervously. "I wouldn't give up my upbringing though. It taught me a lot of things I wouldn't have learned otherwise. Like how terrifying it is to be stuck in a supply closet."

"There's most certainly a story behind that, and I wanna hear it." Oliver leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.

"A very embarrassing story that only I and one other person know about," Felicity laughed at his eagerness.

"I won't tell anyone. Please, Felicity?" Oliver begged jokingly.

"Fine, but no one ever hears about this. My friends would kill me if they knew I never told them," Felicity warned, completely serious now.

"My lips are sealed." Oliver made the motion of zipping his lips.

"Fine. I was sixteen and it was my senior year of high school."

"You graduated when you were sixteen?" Oliver asked, genuinely surprised.

"Yeah, AP classes and dual enrollment, that sort of thing."

"You are actually a genius," Oliver smiled, motioning for her to continue the story.

Felicity laughed lightly and proceeded. "Okay, so our engineering team made it to the nation finals and the competition was in New York. The opposing team was from Central City and they had been our rivals since my freshman year on the team."

"Let me get this straight; you joined the engineering team as a freshman and made it to nation finals every year...?" Oliver laughed.

"We were a bomb-ass team!" Felicity defended.

Oliver laughed, feeling tears reach his eyes. "Alright then, sorry for insulting your _bomb-ass_ team. Continue."

"Apology accepted," Felicity smiled. "Anyway, there was this kid on the Central City team that had been my arch-nemesis since the beginning. He was the only one that was actually smart enough to present a challenge to me in the jeopardy section of the contest."

"Jeopardy section?" Oliver smiled again. She hadn't spoken this much since her babble earlier, it really did make his heart beat with joy.

"Yeah, there was the robotics section where each team presented their project and the jeopardy section where a member from each team competed for points. He and I were always the competitors and he drove me absolutely insane because he actually made it difficult to win."

"Ahh," Oliver leaned back in his seat. "Someone who could finally challenge the infamous Felicity Smoak."

"It seems funny now, but it totally sucked when I was high school and I realised I wasn't the smartest person on the planet."

"I'm sure you proved him wrong."

"He beat me the first round, I won the second, and it was a tie for final jeopardy." Felicity clarified. "Ugh! I wanted to kill him!"

Oliver tried to stifle his laugh at her actions. Even now, almost a decade later, Felicity was still upset over a high school engineering contest. There was something about how much she cared that Oliver found unimaginably attractive.

"Anyway, it was an hour before the jeopardy contest was about to start and I was walking through the hallways of the hotel we were staying at, clearing my head for the competition, and who do I run into but Barry freaking Allen!"

"Is that a celebrity? Cause I've never heard of him." Oliver laughed again.

"No! Barry's the kid from the other team!"

"The one who's smarter than you?" Oliver asked teasingly.

"He was not smarter than me, his team just had more luck than mine did." Felicity glared at him.

"I'm joking, Felicity," He clarified with an even wider smile than before. "Continue with the story, please. I wanna hear how you beat up this poor kid."

"I did not beat him up." Felicity rolled her eyes. "I hated him with every ounce of my being, but he was actually kinda nice to me and I started feeling bad."

"What does this have to do with you getting locked in a closet?"

"I'm getting to it!" Felicity laughed. "We were walking and he started flirting with me, and I'd be lying if I said he wasn't kinda cute. Plus, the fact that he had a good set of brains definitely helped."

"Flirting...?" Oliver asked, suddenly interested in the story for a different reason.

"Yeah, he told me my eyes were pretty and all that cheesy stuff," Felicity brushed it off. "But obviously I didn't know any better. I was a sixteen year old geek on the engineering team. The only person that had ever kissed me was my mom."

Oliver felt an overwhelming sense of possessiveness attack his body, one that he had never felt before. Oliver pushed it down. He had no right to feel possessive towards Felicity, she wasn't his girlfriend and they were barely even friends. He wasn't a caveman, Oliver could control his emotions. He listened as Felicity continued her story, attempting to keep his feelings at bay.

"I fell for whatever geeky vibe he was throwing out. Long story short, the two of us ended up in the hotel's supply closet making out ten minutes before the contest was supposed to start."

"Did you make it to jeopardy?" Oliver asked, trying to show that he was still interested in hearing about what happened. He could hear the sudden roughness in his own voice, but Felicity didn't seem to notice.

"After half an hour of banging on the door, yeah. It was a pretty good make out session to be completely fair. Then again, it was my first make out session, so I didn't have much of a bar to measure it by..."

Oliver suddenly felt another overwhelming feeling to give her a bar. He wanted to set the bar so high that no man would ever come close. He stared at her pink lips, balling his fingers together to stop himself from reaching across the table and smashing his lips against hers. The hot sensation spreading through his stomach did not lessen at her admission. He took in another deep breath, tuning back into her story. All he could do to keep from showing Felicity just how she made him feel was repeat a few words over and over in his head.

_She's not mine. She's not mine. She's not mine. She's not mine. She's not mine._

Oliver sure as hell wanted to make her his though. He shook his head again, berating himself for thinking such things about Felicity. She would most likely not approve of his possessiveness. She had said it herself; she was grown woman, she didn't need him to take care of her.

"The contest ended up starting twenty minutes late and I lost. It sucked. And top of it all, the entire team hated me for fraternising with the enemy. At the end of the day, Barry gave me his number and then went back to Central City and I went back to Vegas. Not much room for a relationship there."

Oliver sighed, letting go of a bit of his anger. He almost laughed at his own childishness. This kid, Barry, was someone from her past, someone from high school. They had kissed in a supply closet and then returned to opposite ends of the country. There was barely even a relationship, he had no need to worry about it. It wasn't like the two of them kept in touch or anything.

"He never left Central City, but we still talk all the time. He's pretty great, I can't believe I used to hate him..."

And just like that, Oliver felt his stomach tighten again.

* * *

Felicity felt her arm tingle as Oliver led her up the stairs to her flat with his hand on her elbow. The man had become unusually silent after her supply closet story, opting instead to nod silently along with her words with a deep chuckle here and there. His gaze had become more intense, like he wanted to eat her alive. Halfway through her story, Felicity noticed Oliver's blue eyes become darker as they glanced back and forth between her lips and her eyes. The intensity in his eyes took Felicity's breath away. It didn't get any better when they finally got back into his car. His constant glance at her small form in the passenger seat nearly drove her crazy.

Felicity could tell that Oliver was attracted to her for some unknown reason, but she did not want to attract Oliver Queen. She would be lying if she said that it didn't raise her self esteem drastically. He was clearly a very beautiful man, but he was also Oliver Queen. Felicity did not date the Oliver Queens of the world. If his intense gazes were anything to go by, Oliver didn't want a relationship...he simply wanted her. She couldn't be another notch on his bedpost, she just couldn't. That's why she had chosen to wear the nerdiest shoes she owned and the baggiest knitted sweater in her closet; both of which Cooper had found very unattractive. Unfortunately, it did not seem to work with Oliver since he was currently glancing at her with the same intense want inside his eyes.

Felicity couldn't take it anymore. His body was practically radiating sexuality. As they climbed the last stair to her door, Felicity turned to Oliver and made the decision to put an end to whatever this was developing into.

"Tonight was really fun," Oliver began with a bright smile. He removed his hand from her elbow and pushed it into his pockets.

"It was...thanks," Felicity mumbled back, staring down at the floor and trying to find the right words to say.

"We should do it again," Oliver smiled, inching a bit closer. "In a more...formal setting maybe?"

Felicity's breathing sped up as she was forced to lift her head from the floor and stare up into his sparkling eyes. He was standing directly in front of her now, gazing down at her with his dimpled smile. They were so close that she could smell his cologne. She shivered slightly when his hand brushed up against hers. She felt the warmth spread through her body, but she pushed it down.

"I-I don't know if that's a good idea," Felicity breathed out.

Felicity's heart broke in two when she saw the sparkle in his dissipate. Felicity averted her own very quickly, trying not to allow his puppy dog eyes to reel her in.

"Felicity, I-" Oliver began, but she didn't allow him to finish.

"I'm not interested in being just another girl to you, Mr. Queen. This evening was really fun, I enjoyed it, but I can't do this." Felicity turned around, pushing her keys into the lock briskly. She needed to get away from him. If she stayed here any longer, she knew he would convince her of whatever he wanted her to do.

"You're not just another girl to me, Felicity. I can promise you that. I know that I don't have the best reputation with women, but please give me a chance."

"I can't." Felicity turned back to stare at him. The door was now open ajar slightly. She pressed her back against the door lightly as she prepared to go inside. "You've been really helpful this past week with everything going on with Cooper, but I can't do this... I shouldn't have agreed to come with you tonight in the first place; I knew it was going to confuse things!"

"Felicity-"

"No! Just stop, please..." Felicity pleaded, feeling the tears spring to her eyes. Oliver seemed like a great person, but that was how he got women to come home with him after all. Felicity was too smart to fall for his charm. "Look...I had a lot of fun tonight, but I think it'll be better for the both of us if we didn't do this again. I'm sure you have a girlfriend or someone and I don't want to get into the middle of that..."

Felicity could tell that Oliver wanted to say more, but he simply nodded. She could feel a twinge of disappointment in her heart, an ounce of her wishing he wouldn't give up so easily.

"I guess I better go then," Oliver smiled sadly.

Felicity said nothing, nodding at him with a curt smile as he took a step back and began his decent down the stairs. Felicity turned back to the open door of her flat, feeling a sudden sense of loneliness.

"Hey, Felicity."

Felicity swung back around at his desperate voice. He looked at her with an odd expression, slowly climbing the few steps he had descended and walking much closer than necessary. Felicity could feel the warmth from his body and the breath from his lips as he crowded her space. She didn't know what to say, simply letting out a breath she didn't realise she was holding. Felicity turned her gaze upwards, staring directly into his now darkened blue orbs. There was a certain twinkle in them, a bit of mischief, curiosity, and desperation. Her body froze as he lifted his palms and rested them on her cheeks. She took in another deep breath, desperately wanting to take a step back as well as close the gap of centimeters that separated them. Oliver seemed to notice the conflict in her eyes and his lips tugged upwards only slightly. When he finally spoke, Oliver's voice was soft and quiet. It drifted through the air and into her ears...words that were meant only for her to hear.

"This may be incredibly narcissistic of me, but I'm hoping I can change your mind..."

"You won't," Felicity gulped, mimicking his soft tone.

"I've gotta try," He assured, narrowing his eyes as if she were an incredible creature that held some unknown secret.

His left hand traveled from her cheek and down her shoulders, tracing a long line down her arm. His fingers danced along her sweater, tickling her skin even through the thick material. They finally rested on her elbow, holding her in place delicately. She wouldn't have moved anyway. The sensation of his right thumb stroking the soft skin on her cheek just below her eye, would have convinced her in that very moment. When his eyes fluttered closed and he leaned in, tugging her a bit closer, Felicity knew all protests had gone out the window. She closed her eyes and pulled in a breath, waiting for the sensation of his lips on hers. She anticipated the passion, the want, the need, that would accompany his kiss. She thought about him backing her into the wall and kissing her like there was no tomorrow...

When his lips finally met hers, it was not passionate nor was it filled with an intense want or need. His lips touched hers only softly as he tugged her a bit closer. Felicity's hands moved on their own volition, wrapping themselves around his neck and threading into his short blonde hair. Felicity felt as Oliver's hands moved from her elbow and onto her hip. He flexed his fingers, practicing his control not to pull her body flush against his own. He simply held her as their lips molded together. The vibration that echoed through her body when he groaned into the kiss triggered Felicity's own mewl.

The kiss was soft and perfect. It was everything she had needed to convince her he was genuine. It was everything she had wanted from him. It was everything she had not expected. As she deepened the kiss with another moan, Felicity's mind was instantly drawn from the beautiful sensation she was feeling and into a conversation she barely remembered having...

* * *

_"What's he like, Tommy?" Felicity asked, sitting cross-legged in the couch as the man sat at the other end._

_"What's who like?" He responded, flipping through channels on her television._

_"The infamous Oliver Queen... What's he like?"_

_"Well the ladies love him," Tommy winked at her with a smirk._

_"Obviously," Felicity rolled her eyes. "But looks aren't the only thing that get you the girl. There's gotta be something else..."_

_"Oliver knows what a girl wants and he gives it to them, simple as that, Lissy."_

_"Nothing is that simple, Merlyn."_

_"He gives her everything she needs to convince her he's genuine, everything she wants from him, and everything she doesn't expect." Tommy said, finally settling on a channel. "Oliver is an expert when it comes to women, he just knows how to read them."_

* * *

Suddenly, the feeling of Oliver's hands gripping her waist did not feel nearly as special. The sensation of his thumb stroking her cheek suddenly felt cold. She pushed away from him violently, breaking the kiss and earning a confused look from the man. Felicity couldn't believe she had fallen for it. She was _this close_ to giving him everything she had to offer. None of this was special to him...it was just as Tommy said, Oliver knew what a woman wanted and gave it to her. It was how he managed to get so many girls to fall under his spell, and now he was using the same trick on her.

"Felicity-" Oliver began, reaching towards her.

Felicity took a giant step back, pushing the door to her flat open with her shoulder. "You need to leave."

Felicity didn't wait to see his reaction. Instead she walked inside, slamming the door behind her and letting the tears fall. She had allowed Cooper to draw her in with his charm and he had kept her on a leash for years afterwards. Oliver wouldn't even be so kind as to keep her close. He would take what he wanted and then kick her through the door. With a heavy sigh, Felicity wiped away the stray tears that streamed across her cheeks and marched into her bedroom to change.

Right now, Felicity needed the only therapy that ever seemed to work on days like this; warm blankets, Sherlock, and some mint chocolate chip ice cream.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I know this chapter isn't as long as the others. Truth is, I just didn't have the motivation to write anymore. Linkin Park has been my favourite band for years now and after hearing the heartbreaking news Thursday morning, I just couldn't write anymore. I'll try to get something up by Wednesday/Thursday next week. I finished up the chapter and I just decided to post it since I probably won't be adding anything else for a few days. My heart goes out to family members, friends, and all the fans who I know are hurting just as much as I am. I still can't believe he's gone. Rest in peace, Chester Bennington.
> 
> Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255


	5. Chapter 5

 

* * *

Felicity sighed as she refilled her TARDIS mug with coffee for the fourth time that day. It was finally Saturday night... The week was coming to an end and she could not wait to get back to work on Monday. Sitting in her apartment was beginning to drive her insane. The small outing with Oliver a couple days ago had been fun, but their exchange afterwards had tainted the rest of the evening for her. Oliver seemed like a great guy; she couldn't exactly blame him for trying to work his playboy magic on her, they were both consenting adults after all. She could blame herself for almost falling for his playboy magic though. It hadn't even been a full week since she had broken up with Cooper, and Felicity was already being reeled in by another charming facade. Felicity didn't believe that Oliver could ever be as terrible as Cooper had turned out to be, but she wouldn't take that chance that he would break her heart just as much.

Felicity leaned against her counter, staring out the window to the fire escape that stood behind her kitchen sink. She could catch a small glimpse of the stars twinkling in the dark sky above the metal railings outside the window. Starling really could be a beautiful city late at night from the safety of one's kitchen. It was only when you left that safe place and ventured out into the world of people and emotions did the city get messy and dangerous. Felicity allowed herself to smile lightly as she traced the path between each sparkling star with her eyes. A loud and urgent knock on her front door brought her out of the calmness of the dark blue skies.

 _I am really tired of people showing up to my apartment unannounced,_ Felicity thought to herself as she made her way to the front door with a deep sigh. She placed the mug on the counter and trudged towards the door. Swinging it open on its hinges, Felicity was met with a very overwhelming sight.

"Lissy!" Iris screamed as she launched herself at the blonde, wrapping her arms around Felicity's neck.

"She can't breathe, Iris. Giver her some space," Barry chuckled from behind them, placing a hand on Iris' shoulder. Iris pulled back at Barry's request but still had the same joyous grin across her face.

"It's really great to see you guys..." Felicity said, moving aside to let them into the room. "I know that you probably heard what happened, but you didn't have to drive all the way from Central City."

"Yes, we did." Iris plopped down into the couch, kicking her shoes off and crossing her feet in the couch underneath her. "If I ever see Cooper's arrogant face again, I will break his nose."

"I'm with Iris," Barry agreed. "I couldn't break Cooper's nose if I tried, but I will happily support anyone who can."

"Nice to know," Felicity cringed at the sincerity in their statements."You two are actually not the first people to offer to maim Cooper for me this week."

"Excuse me?" Iris sat up with mock offense. "It is my job as a best friend to threaten your asshole exes; who's been filling in for me?"

"Tommy Merlyn happens to believe that it is his duty to break Cooper's fingers 'one by one'." Felicity offered air quotes with her fingers as she squeezed into the couch next to the pair.

"I wasn't a big fan of Merlyn when I first met him," Barry mused. "But I wouldn't mind offering my services to him whenever he completes that specific task. Tell Tommy to give me call when he finds this asshole and we can break his fingers together."

"And I will videotape it and publish it on the front page of every magazine I have ties to," Iris added. "Let every woman in Starling know that Cooper Seldon is a little bitch."

"You guys are the classiest friends I have," Felicity said sarcastically, patting Iris' knee.

"Speaking of Tommy Merlyn," Iris began. "I heard that he is the proud owner of Starling City's hottest night club."

"He is," Felicity confirmed. She knew exactly where Iris was going with this. She turned at Barry, silently pleading with him for help. The man simply shook his head with a knowing and amused smile.

"Well, if he's willing to break some dude's fingers for you, maybe he wouldn't mind putting us on the guest list for a night...?" Iris leaned in with a mischievous smile.

"Absolutely not, Iris. I won't take advantage of him like that."

"You're not, he's your friend!"

"Iris..." Felicity sighed.

"Before you continue, you should know that Tommy may or may not have mentioned to me that he has invited you to this club several times."

"Why are you talking to Tommy?" Felicity and Barry both inquired at the same time.

"My best friend knows Tommy Merlyn on a personal level!" Iris exclaimed. "Did you think I wasn't gonna get in on that?"

Felicity sighed, placing her face into the palms of her hands with a groan. "I don't want to go out, Iris..."

"When was the last time you left this flat?" This time it was Barry asking.

"It doesn't matter, I don't wanna go." Felicity glared at him for turning against her.

"Too bad, Lis." Iris jumped up from the couch, dragging Felicity up with her. "I will not let you sit here and rewatch Sherlock for the billionth time."

Felicity turned to Barry, begging him again to talk Iris out of this. Barry simply shook his head sympathetically. "This apartment smells like Chinese takeout and tears. Sherlock is great and all, but even he leaves Baker Street every once in a while."

"Then it's settled! We are going to a club to sip girly drinks and flirt with cute guys! I have wanted to put you in a sexy dress for years, let's go!" Iris cheered, pushing a very hesitant Felicity into her room to change.

 

* * *

"Are you sure this dress isn't too revealing, Iris?" Felicity complained, hugging herself to cover her bare shoulders as Iris parked the car a few blocks from Verdant. "Maybe I should go back home and change...?"

"C'mon, Felicity! Tonight will be fun..." Iris exclaimed, dragging Felicity out of the passenger seat of the car. Felicity hesitantly walked alongside Iris towards the loud, crowded building. Even from far away, they could hear the sound of music thumping inside. Suddenly, Felicity didn't feel so good. This was totally not her scene. Glancing down at the V-necked, mid-thigh flowy dress she wore, Felicity began to feel naked. She longed for the comfort of leggings and a sweatshirt...

"What if it gets cold? I forgot my sweater!" Felicity said, turning back towards the car abruptly.

"You can barrow mine, now let's go." Iris put her hands on her hips, glaring at the hesitant woman in front of her. Iris grabbed her hand dragging her back.

"Iris..." Felicity pleaded again.

"Look, Lissy," Iris placed a hand on Felicity's shoulder comfortingly. "I know that it's gonna be hard putting yourself back out there, especially since Cooper is all you've known for years now. But you're gonna have to jump back in sooner or later. Not now obviously, but whenever you're ready. I care too much about you to let you sit inside of your apartment and become some kind of antisocial hermit."

"What if I want to be an antisocial hermit?" Felicity asked matter-of-factly.

"You don't. I'm your best friend, I'd know." Iris laughed, lacing her arm into the crook of Felicity's elbow as they continued walking towards the entrance of the club. "Think about it, Lis! When was the last time Cooper actually let you live your life? He's not holding you down anymore, you can finally have fun! You can finally hang out with your friends and go dancing and show off how sexy you are! Cooper was a controlling asshole, and he isn't here anymore, don't let him keep you from living!"

"Fine," Felicity agreed with a roll of her eyes. "But the second I hear some douche-y pick-up line, I'm leaving."

"Deal!" Iris grinned, dragging her friend the rest of the way with a squeal.

* * *

"Do my eyes deceive me or is Felicity Smoak in my club?"

Felicity rolled her eyes with mock annoyance before turning around to face the sarcastic voice behind her. "Don't you have work to do?"

"Seeing as I own the place," Tommy laughed, sliding into the booth next to her. "I think I get to decide when I have work to do."

"I don't think that's how running a business works, Merlyn," Felicity teased.

"Did you really come here to criticize my work ethic?" Tommy glared at her.

"No," Another giddy voice joined them. Iris slid into the booth across from them with two drinks, sliding one over to Felicity. "She's here because Barry and I both agreed that Cooper has drained all of the fun out of her and she needs to start living again."

"I second that motion," Tommy raised his hand jokingly.

"Three against one, Lis," Iris laughed and sipped her drink. "The vote is in our favour."

"Since when is my life a democracy?" Felicity stared between the two.

"Since you started dating assholes, that's when." Tommy glared right back at her with only a hint of humour in his tone. "I propose another motion; from now on, we get to screen your boyfriends before things get serious."

"Absolutely not!" Felicity shoved him.

"Second!" Iris yelled with another laugh.

"Two against one; the motion is carried." Tommy smiled at her smugly.

"Stop voting on my life! This isn't a democracy, this is a dictatorship; like full-on North Korea!" Felicity waved her hands frantically.

"Whatever you say, Mussolini." Tommy rolled his eyes and gave Iris a comedic look before sliding out of the booth.

"Mussolini was from Italy!" Felicity screamed at him as he left. She shook her head and turned to Iris. "Seriously, did he pay attention to anything during school?"

"Holy crap..." Iris whispered as she whipped her head around to glare at Felicity.

"What is it?" Felicity asked, glancing around the club to find what had inspired such an awestruck response in her friend.

"Oliver Queen is coming over here!" Iris squealed, grabbing Felicity's hand from across the table.

" _The_ Oliver Queen?" Felicity asked, looking around more frantically now. She soon spotted him, pushing his way through the dancing crowd and toward their section. He didn't seem to notice them in particular, but if he got too close he might just recognize the blonde that had made out with him in front of her door only a few nights ago. "Oh gosh...This is bad. This is bad. This is so so bad."

"Bad?" Iris screamed at her. She lowered her voice quickly, leaning across the table. "We have a chance to meet Oliver freaking Queen! How is that bad? C'mon, maybe he'll notice us, look as hot as you can!" Iris commanded her.

"I don't want him to notice us, Iris!" Felicity yelled back, turning her head as he got closer.

"Why the hell not?" Iris asked with confusion.

"Because I've already met him and he probably thinks I'm a total bitch," Felicity answered, bringing her hand up to shield her face from his line of sight.

"What?" Iris exclaimed. "You met Oliver Queen and didn't tell me?"

"Did I add that he probably thinks I'm a bitch, cause I'm like ninety percent sure that he does!"

"Explain yourself, Smaok! Now!"

"He's the one that found Cooper and I in my office at QC," Felicity explained. "We went for coffee a few nights ago and we ended up making out in front of my apartment. Then I slammed the door in his face and we haven't spoken since."

"You made out with _Oliver Queen_!?" Iris stood up suddenly, bumping the table and spilling her drink across the surface. "I thought your life was boring!?"

"Can you keep your voice down? He's going to hear you," Felicity hissed, gesturing for her to sit back down.

"Absolutely not!" Iris screamed again. Luckily the music covered up most of the noise, but she still caught the attention of a few people nearby, including the very man Felicity was trying to avoid. "He's your knight in shining armor, Lissy! He saved your life and then fate had you two sucking face against your front door! You two are meant to be and I will die before I let my best friend throw away a chance to be Mrs. Oliver Queen!"

If the sight of a panicked and anxious screaming woman weren't enough, the sound of his name being bellowed from her lips was definitely going to draw his attention. Felicity glanced over at him subconsciously, praying that he hadn't noticed. Her eyes instantly caught his captivating blue ones and Felicity silently cursed herself and Iris before she quickly averted her gaze. "Great job, Iris! Now he really is coming over here!"

"Good," Iris crossed her arms over her chest and returned Felicity's glare. "Do not sabotage a relationship just because you're afraid, Smoak; you're too damn brave for that and I'll be damned if the woman that got me through college turns down a shot with great guy because she's too scared to let herself love again! I am going to the bathroom and when I get back, you two better be talking this shit out!"

With that, Iris stormed off with a swish of her long brown hair. Felicity groaned into her hands, as she awaited the inevitable. She had hoping all week that she didn't run into Oliver again, and in a matter of hours, Iris had managed to throw all of her plans out the window. _How could I forget that he owns the damn club?_ Felicity thought to herself. Even if Oliver didn't completely despise her, he would still want an explanation for her actions. Felicity couldn't exactly tell him that she slammed a door in his face because he was a total manwhore.

"Felicity...?"

She heard his hesitant voice over the sound of thumping music in the club. She didn't respond right away, giving one last hope that he would just leave her alone if she ignored him long enough. That dream was crushed when he slid into the booth, replacing the seat that Iris had just previously vacated. Letting out a sigh, Felicity raised her head from her hands slowly to meet his worried eyes.

"Oliver, hey..." She answered nervously.

"Is everything okay?" He narrowed his eyes at her. "You look a bit...defeated."

"Oh yeah, of course!" She answered a bit too enthusiastically. "I'm good—great actually! Everything is great, I'm doing great!" Felicity shook her head at how frantic her words sounded as she peeked at Oliver with a cringe. If her actions previously this week did not convince him, this would certainly confirm that she was insane in his eyes.

Oliver smiled tentatively, his eyes still watching her closely with concern. "Look, Felicity," Oliver began with a sigh. He tore his gaze away from her eyes and down to the table he rested his elbows on. "I owe you an apology for the other night." He phrased the sentence like a question, as if he expected her to get up and leave. Felicity noticed his nervousness, his fingers fidgeting on the table as he glanced at her uncertainly. "I know you just got out of a relationship and I shouldn't have been pushing you like I did, but I would really appreciate it if we could at least be friends...?"

Felicity let out a deep sigh at his words. She had heard that line many times before. It was exactly how Cooper had managed to reel her in for so long. Every time they decided to take one of their many "breaks", Cooper would suggest remaining friends, only to seduce her back into another round of their terrible toxic relationships. It was always hard being friends with someone you had feelings for... Not that Oliver had feelings for her! Certainly not. He clearly found her attractive, but that was it. Accepting his request for a friendship would only give him hope that one day she would be ready for something more, and that was not the case. Despite the fact that he had stayed out of the news for the past few years, Felicity had seen too many gossip magazine covers with paparazzi photographs of Oliver Queen drunkenly stumbling out of a nightclub with a supermodel-esque brunette on his arm. Felicity could not be one of those women. Not just because she wasn't the leggy, brunette type; but also because she was not the one night stand type. A relationship with Felicity Smoak was all or nothing, and Oliver Queen was definitely not an 'all or nothing' type of guy. Either way, he was still a very polite and kind man, as well as Tommy's best friend. She couldn't very well tell him to shove it where the sun doesn't shine; if anything, he deserved to be let down gently.

"Oliver," Felicity began, gathering her scattered thoughts.

Before she could continue, a warm hand wrapped around her upper arm gently, tugging her out of her seat.

"Lissy!" Tommy screamed, seemingly not noticing his best friend in the seat across from her. "I have someone I want you to meet, c'mon!"

Felicity didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed with Tommy's second appearance of the night. On one had he was saving her from avery awkward and torturous conversation, but he was also only helping her put off the inevitable. Sooner or later, she would have to have this talk with Oliver. He had been nothing but kind to her since they met, not to mention that he had saved her life and then waited in the hospital and drove her home to make sure she was okay. She couldn't leave him holding out for something that wasn't going to happen.

Felicity glanced back at Oliver, who was glaring at his best friend with a mixture of mild irritation and intense confusion. She sent him an apologetic look that he didn't seem to notice, before Tommy dragged her off in the direction of the bar on the other side of the club.

* * *

Tommy pulled Felicity up to the bar and beckoned at a bartender. As the blonde woman came over, Felicity sat down and placed her arms on the wooden counter.

"Felicity Smoak," Tommy began once the woman was in front of them. "This is the wonderfully talented, world's best bartender—Sara Lance."

The woman smiled at Felicity kindly before Tommy continued his introduction, much to the two women's amusement.

"Sara Lance, this is Felicity Smoak; MIT graduate, computer expert, certified genius, and Doctor Who nerd."

"And yet here she is hanging around with you," Sara tilted her head at the man teasingly. She then turned to Felicity and extended her hand. "Nice to meet you, Felicity. Tommy's certainly gotten a little less stupid since he became friends with you, it's nice to finally put a face to the name."

"Nice to meet you too." Felicity shook her hand with a light chuckle. "I can finally rest easy knowing that I'm not the only one that'll still keep him in check."

"Okay, no." Tommy gestured between the two women with a confused look. "I didn't introduce you so that you could gang up on me."

"What did you expect?" Sara asked. "You are a bit of a handful."

"Damn right, I am." Tommy smiled proudly with a wink.

"You're disgusting!" Felicity shoved his arm jokingly.

"Go away, Merlyn!" Sara yelled simultaneously with a laugh.

"Why? So you two can think of new ways to bully me?" Tommy asked almost genuinely. "This was a terrible idea; I don't know why I let you two meet."

"I think this will be the start of a beautiful friendship," Sara smiled proudly at Felicity before she walked off to tend to new costumers.

"Oh yeah," Tommy mused once Sara had left. "Iris asked me to let you know that she left and I should drop you home."

"What!?" Felicity screamed. "How could Iris leave? She's the one that dragged me here and she just left?"

"She said you had met some hot guy, I don't know..."

"That conniving minx!" Felicity couldn't help but laugh. Iris had clearly left her here hoping that she and Oliver would figure things out and end up madly in love or whatnot. Felicity felt like she should be furious with her best friend, but it was always hard to stay mad at Iris for too long, so it was better to just forgive her now and get it over with. Otherwise, she wasted a lot of energy being upset with the woman. "When I get home, I am going to kill her."

"Let me know how that goes..." Tommy stared at her with confusion. "What the hell is wrong with this DJ? Holy crap, this is the worst music I've ever heard! I know this isn't your scene, I'll be back in a second." With that, Tommy excused himself and stormed towards the DJ booth.

* * *

Oliver stared after Felicity as Tommy dragged her off... It took him a good minute to register what had just transpired.

_Tommy and Felicity knew each other._

Once the realisation hit, Oliver couldn't help the questions that had popped into his mind.

_How long had they been friends?_ _Were they friends at all?_

It wouldn't be completely impossible for them to be something more. It would explain a hell of lot that had been going on lately. Like why Tommy had been so enormously pissed off the day after Felicity's altercation with Cooper and the odd phone calls he kept making all week to make sure his "friend was okay". It would explain why Felicity seemed so miraculously offended when they had shared such a passionate kiss that night. Who wouldn't be hurt and angry after their boyfriend's best friend made out with them? And then there was _Lissy_. That's what Tommy had called her—Lissy. Felicity's name wasn't _Lissy_. That was a name that would only be used for affectionate familiarity. Tommy had affectionately referred to _his_ girl as if she was his own. Oliver couldn't help the jealousy that flared in his stomach at the thought. He barely noticed that he had referred Felicity as 'his girl', when she most certainly did not belong to him. If her actions were any indication, she didn't want to and she there was no way she could be 'his girl' if she was currently Tommy's girl.

But she had just gotten out of a relationship, hadn't she? She and Cooper were hardly stale yet... Oliver by no means had any right to judge her if she had gone from one relationship and straight to another. He had done much much worse. What if Tommy was the reason Felicity was planning to break up with Cooper in the first place?

When Tommy had asked him to plan the party for his mysterious "platonic female friend" last week, he had warned Oliver not to get involved with her. He had practically told him that she was strictly off limits. Then the day after Felicity's altercation, Tommy had told him to cancel the party, offering no explanation other than "she might not be up for it anymore". Oliver couldn't help thinking what an idiot he had been all this time. Tommy didn't want him flirting with his "platonic female friend" because he already had feeling for her. Sometime between Monday and now, Tommy had made those feelings known and his "platonic female friend" had become Felicity—his non-platonic girlfriend.

It all made so much sense that it hurt. Very very deep. He couldn't hurt Tommy like this, but he wanted Felicity, and he wanted her bad. Oliver couldn't help but feel a bit hurt that neither Felicity nor Tommy felt the need to tell him that they were together. Tommy could've at least let him know that there was someone special in his life; and Felicity certainly knew of his and Tommy's connection. It wouldn't have changed the way he felt about her, but at least it would have been a heads up. Before he could fully register it, his feet were carrying him to the bar. He needed a drink...a very strong drink.

* * *

Felicity sat at the bar, waiting for Tommy to get back so he could drive her home. The terrible music was still booming through the speakers, so she assumed that he had not yet convinced the DJ to play something else. She nursed the soda that Sara had slid over to her a few minutes ago. She opted to avoid any alcohol for the evening, preferring not to be drunk with a very hot Oliver Queen somewhere in the same room. Just as the thought entered her mind, she caught a glimpse of the very man sliding onto a stool on the other end of the semi-circular bar. Felicity's eyes widened, glancing down at the aluminium soda can that rested on the counter. He didn't seem to notice her, which was all she could hope for. Tommy needed to hurry up before Oliver realised she was only a few feet away.

As Felicity averted her glance, trying her best not to look in his direction, she felt a swoosh of air beside her as somebody occupied the seat on her left.

"Hey there, beautiful." A tall brunette man smirked at her. He licked his lips, which was an action that Felicity could only describe as creepy. "What's got you seating in the corner all by yourself?"

"Avoiding someone," Felicity answered. She hoped that her curt response would let him know that she wasn't interested. All he did was move in a little closer though, crowding her space so that his knee was brushing against her naked thigh. Jeez, she really wished Iris had given her a longer dress...

"How about I help you out with that little mission by taking you home, babe?"

"No thanks," Felicity said, praying that he would get the message and leave her alone.

"C'mon, babe, I could make it the best night of your life," He slurred, putting his hand on her thigh and stroking the skin with his thumb.

"Please don't touch me," Felicity flinched away from him, speaking a bit louder than she intended and drawing the attention of a few people nearby. Sara glanced her way worriedly and began finishing up the cocktail she was mixing so she could hurry over, keeping a watchful eye on the situation from where she stood. Her words seemed to also draw the attention of the exact man she was trying to avoid. Oliver sent a worried expression her way. She locked onto his blue eyes and noticed the a very deep sadness there. It confused her for only a minute before her attention was brought back to the persistent man sitting at her side.

"You wear that dress pretty nice baby," He whispered, leaning forward to say the words into her ear. His hand touched the hem of her dress before sliding back onto her thigh and slowly traveling upwards. "But I bet you look even better out of it..."

"Get away from me!" Felicity pushed him by the chest as he moved closer and closer. From the corner of her eye she saw Oliver get out of his seat and head towards her. Sara slid the drink across the counter to the costumer before also making her way over. Before either one of them could reach her, she felt a protective arm wrap around her waste.

"What's going on, babe?" Tommy asked her, staring down the man now standing up in front of them.

The man didn't seem dismayed by Tommy's act though, simply staring right back at him. "She's finally met a real man, that's about it."

"I'm not a real man?" Tommy asked with mock confusion. "Why didn't you tell me, Lis?"

"Real funny, pretty boy. You mind running off so I can finish what I started here?" The man glared at Tommy.

Felicity could still see that Oliver and Sara were on high alert, waiting to see if Tommy could take care of the situation before jumping in for themselves. If this were any other time, Felicity would be a bit offended that they all seemed to think she couldn't take care of herself; however, she was genuinely afraid, especially since this man was more than twice her size. Oliver watched them with a tinge of something else floating around his blue orbs. He glanced between Tommy and Felicity with an air of defeat. It confused Felicity, but she was a bit busy worrying that Tommy's smart mouth would get him punched right now.

"I would run off, but this is kinda my girl. I can't really let you slip the moves on her, you know?" Tommy continued the act, tightening his arm around her waste to seem a bit more convincing. In any other circumstance she would've thrown something at him, but he was only pretending. Neither of them really had feeling for one another, Tommy just got a kick out of pissing people off. It was a quirk of his that she was much too familiar with.

"Your girl?" The man laughed. "You're real funny bro, now get outta my way."

"Not gonna happen, _bro_ ," Tommy imitated him mockingly. He leaned down to whisper lightly in Felicity's ear. "I have an idea, but you won't like it."

"What are you gonna do, Merlyn?" Felicity whispered back.

"Just trust me," He stated.

"What are you gonna do, Merlyn?" She asked again with more force.

"This is gonna hurt me more than it hurts you, _babe_ ," He said with a wink.

Before Felicity could decipher his statement, Tommy's lips were on hers. His hands held her jaw against his. He didn't deepen the kiss, _thank goodness_ , but he did press his lips against hers for what felt like hours but was really only a few seconds. He finally pulled away, turning to face the man that still stood close watching them.

"You still she isn't my girl? Cause I'll kiss her again if you'd like..." Tommy shrugged.

"You know what? I can find another girl. Your loss, baby!" He yelled over his shoulder as he stormed off into the crowd.

Once he was out of earshot, Felicity couldn't help the dry heave that rose to her throat. Tommy grabbed her drink and took a large swig, swishing the liquid around in his mouth dramatically.

"Ughhhhh..." Felicity groaned, covering her mouth with her hand.

"I need to brush my teeth..." Tommy muttered, looking even more miserable that she did. "This was a mistake. I'm gonna go bleach my tongue."

Tommy stalked off towards his office upstairs. Felicity glanced at Sara who was bent over at the waist in laughter. Her eyes automatically traveled to Oliver, but he was no longer there. The seat that he had been occupying was mysteriously vacant. Her phone chimed suddenly, drawing her attention away from Oliver's absence.

_Tommy: I think I might vomit. I'm not driving you home. Take a cab. Don't get murdered._

* * *

Oliver was more than ready to jump in and make sure that scumbag never touched Felicity again, but Tommy had gotten there first. It was probably better for them anyway. If Oliver had been the one to diffuse the situation, he doubted he would have stopped there. At least Tommy would be able to save his girl and then bring her home like a gentleman. Oliver wouldn't be able to do that. Not when she belonged to his best friend. It would leave him feeling empty, so he stepped down and let Tommy handle it. He did watch closely though, because the scumbag was a pretty big guy. If he decided to swing, it would take both Oliver and Tommy to bring him down. Even though Tommy was with the woman he wanted so desperately, he still couldn't let some lowlife beat him up.

The straw that broke the camel's back was the kiss.

When Tommy leaned down to whisper in her ear, Oliver had clenched his fingers into his palm underneath the table. He would do anything to be in that position; to be defending Felicity's honour and tickle her ear with the feel of his breath. He would do anything... except betray his best friend. The only person he ever truly wanted just _had_ to be the only person he couldn't have. When Tommy grabbed Felicity's face gently and pulled her in for a kiss, Oliver couldn't watch anymore. He felt his chest tighten with much more than just jealousy. He could almost feel his shattering as Tommy pressed his lips to hers. The pain was too much and before he knew it, Oliver had pushed himself away from the bar and towards the door. Shoving through the crowd of people, he stepped outside. His demeanor must have been a bit menacing, because the people loitering around the entrance disappeared.

Standing alone as the music inside thumped through the neighborhood, Oliver paced. He could feel the hurt and anger building up inside of him. He wasn't even sure why he was angry...

At himself for falling for Tommy's girl? At Felicity for not telling him she was with Tommy? At Tommy for not mentioning that he had a girlfriend? At the universe for being so infinitely cruel?

The whole situation was so many shades of messed up. Oliver placed his open palms against the brick wall of the club and let out a deep sigh. He stood there, leaning against the wall to gather himself. The door to the club opened and Oliver turned to see the individual walking out. Felicity let the door swing shut behind her as she noticed Oliver's defeated stance. It was the first time Oliver was able to truly take in her appearance all night. Her wavy blonde hair tumbled loosely around her bare shoulders. Her dress was a was black with a loose skirt that reached just about mid-thigh. The spaghetti strap top of the dress was just the right amount of sexy and classy in Oliver's opinion, complementing the gentle pink lipstick she wore. Her glasses were gone, allowing her bright blue eyes to show a bit more clearly. Oliver couldn't help but trail his eyes up her legs when he noticed the black heels she wore on her feet. When he took notice of her pastel pink finger nails, he couldn't help but smile. No matter how formal or casual her clothes were, she was still Felicity. It was at that moment that Oliver realized, he didn't want an IT expert or dashing blonde. He didn't want short dresses or a colourful wardrobe; he just wanted Felicity. Even without all of her clothes or accolades, he would still want _her_. He may not be able to have her, but she was still his girl.

* * *

After the text came in from Tommy, Felicity said her goodbyes to Sara and made her way out of the club. She didn't know how she could hail a cab this late at night, so she pulled out her cellphone to look for a number. If anything, she could just call Iris and guilt trip her into coming back to the club. Barry had told her about Uber, but something about getting into some random person's car creeped her out. She would rather walk home that take a chance with a potential murderer. She pushed open the door, stepping out into the semi-fresh air of Starling City. Verdant was nice and all, but it was a bit too crowded for her liking. She much preferred a nice quiet coffee shop or library.

The groan that Felicity heard to the right of her pulled her attention away from her phone as she turned to make sure whoever had made such a defeated sound was okay. To her surprise, Oliver stood leaning against the wall, with his hands pushed up against the bricks and his face staring down at the pavement. He turned to her, and she remained still as he took in her appearance. She hesitated for a moment, taking in how hurt and tired he seemed. For the life of her, Felicity wasn't sure why. Taking small tentative steps forward, Felicity placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She couldn't help but notice the slight flinch as her hand made contact.

"Is everything okay?" Felicity asked carefully. She knew she was in no position to pry into whatever was going on with him, but seeing him so defeated really did increase the amount of guilt she was already feeling when it came to this man. She had to try, even if he told her to go away.

"Yeah," He breathed out unconvincingly. He straightened his stance, putting his weight back on his feet rather than the wall. Felicity was forced to let go of his shoulder due to his height. It would be a bit awkward to reach so high when he was pretty much towering over her, even in her heels. "I'm good, thanks."

"Are you sure? You don't look too good..." Felicity tried one more time, taking a step back. His eyes bore into hers with what looked like longing, but there was no way to be sure of that. He rolled his shoulders, gathering himself together before taking a deep breath.

"Felicity," Oliver began with a sigh. He gulped audibly and nervously before continuing. "I didn't know about you and Tommy. Honestly, I had no idea. It wouldn't have changed the way I felt about you if I did, but I need you to know that I never would have kissed you if I had known about the two of you. He's my brother, and I'd never betray him like that. I am so sorry for putting you in this position, and I hope you can forgive me. Tommy's a lucky guy..."

"What...?" Felicity breathed out. What did Tommy have to do with anything? Why did he feel as if he was betraying Tommy? What kind of position did he put her in? Why was Tommy a luck guy? Did Oliver think...? _Oh no... No wonder he had so suddenly disappeared._ It seemed as if Felicity had just solved the case of the mysteriously absent Oliver Queen. Felicity could barely keep her face straight when she realized how things may be looking from Oliver's point of view. "Did you think—"

Oliver didn't let her finish though, continuing to explain. "It's just that you're so different that anyone I've met before and there was just something about you. I don't know what it was, but I wanted you so bad. I assumed that you were single, especially since it was so soon after that that Seldon kid. Please don't tell Tommy. It'll just hurt him and I don't want that...please."

By the time Oliver was finished, Felicity couldn't help but hide her giggle. The thought of her and Tommy almost made her cringe. That relationship wouldn't last a week, even if they did feel that way about one another. "You don't have anything to apologize for," She finally managed to get out through her laughter. The confusion on Oliver's face told her that she hadn't explained herself quite enough. "Tommy and I aren't together. He's just a friend."

"But... the kiss," Oliver argued. "He told that guy you were his girlfriend."

"That guy couldn't take a hint," Felicity explained. "Tommy could've just as easily gotten security to throw him out or something, but as we both know, he likes to be dramatic."

That line seemed to strike true with Oliver as a small smile tugged at his face. The burden seemed to lift off his shoulders when he realized that he had drawn a terribly untrue conclusion. With a sigh, he responded, "Thank goodness, I thought I had fallen for my best friend's girl."

His eyes seemed to widen as he realized the words that had just left his mouth. Their eyes met and Felicity stood still for several moments, trying to find the right way to respond. This didn't change the fact that he was Oliver Queen; billionaire playboy. Then again, maybe just maybe...he was different now. After all, he owned a club, and if she knew Tommy, there was no way that man could do all of this work alone. A project like this took responsibility. Besides, if Oliver had simply wanted a woman to warm his bed for the night, the second he thought she was off-limits, he could have picked up any of the dozens of women more than willing to spend the night in his arms. Instead, he had kept his eyes on her. Even when he thought he couldn't have her... That must speak for something.

The man took a few steps towards her, placing a warm hand on her jaw and lifting her head to stare into her eyes. Felicity wanted Oliver just as bad as he wanted her, maybe even more. He was still her sorta-kinda boss though. She couldn't get involved with the CEO's step son. She was almost certain there was some kind of rule against that, even though she had never seen it...

 _Screw it!_ Felicity thought as his face inched closer to hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to close the kiss. Oliver hesitated for a second, before wrapping his own arms around her waist and pulling her body tightly against his. Her fingers danced through his hair, pulling his head closer to hers as she deepened the kiss. She heard him groan, fueling her own need. She whimpered into the kiss, needing him to be closer. He seemed to understand, rubbing one hand across her back as the other stayed tightly wound around her waist. He pushed her deeper into his body if that was at all possibly judging by how close they already were.

Felicity could feel him pulling back slightly to end the kiss, but she wasn't ready yet. She bit down on his bottom lip before swiping her tongue over the spot soothingly. This time it wasn't a groan that escaped his throat, it was a growl. He dove back in for round two, retaking his place against her lips. His growl was accompanied by the tightening of his arms that wrapped around her. Suddenly, they were moving. Felicity felt him guiding their bodies towards some unknown destination. She couldn't care less though. All she could think about was the amazing feeling that flushed through her body as their tongues met one another stroke for stroke. If she had thought the first time she kissed him was good, this was wonderful, mind-blowing, universe-shattering. Soon they stopped moving as he unwound his arms from her waist and pressed her back into a hard surface. Oliver took advantage of her surprise and pulled away from the kiss, allowing them both to catch a breath. Felicity was trapped between Oliver warm, hard body and the brick wall behind her. He pressed his forehead to hers, panting rapidly as if he had just left the gym. Felicity wasn't much better as she caught her own breath while running her fingers through the hair on the nape of his neck.

He finally opened his eyes, staring into hers with nothing but sincerity and intense need. Felicity swallowed nervously. This was an all or nothing deal...just like she had wanted. But now that he was literally staring her in the face, she wasn't sure she was ready. If Iris were here, she would tell Felicity to get on with it and stop being afraid. Tommy would tell her to forget about Cooper and move on with her life. Barry would tell her to think with her heart and not with her brain. As Felicity stared into Oliver's beautiful questioning eyes, she decided that it was about time to listen to her friends for once. If Oliver was confident enough to take a gamble on her, she wouldn't disappoint either...

"I really wanna take you home," He whispered. He was asking her permission without voicing the question. This was more than sex to him, and clearly if she wasn't ready, he would wait. Oliver gazed into her eyes, awaiting her response.

"I have company," She said. When his face fell only slightly, Felicity realized how that response could have been perceived. She rushed to explain before he pulled away. "Can we go to your place?"

Oliver smiled, diving in for another quick kiss.

"Let's go," was all he whispered against her lips before he reluctantly pulled away from her and dragged her to his car.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyo! Sorry for the long wait with this chapter, I got a bit busy. I can't say when the next chapter will be up because classes are starting soon and I have got to stay focused this semester. I will try to update as soon as I can though.
> 
> Clearly, Oliver and Felicity are going back to Oliver's place for some bored games and Netflix, so Idk if you guys would be up for me writing that scene or not. (Just kidding btw, they're totally gonna have sex). I've never written smut before, but I could give it a try in the next chapter. I would definitely have to change the rating of the fic, but if you guys would like that let me know. If not, I'll just skip it and keep going with the story. Anywhozerz, thanks again for reading. Let me know what you think!


End file.
